tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387401402024-03-19T07:49:47.544-04:00Bake Wildoriginal treats, dishes, and drinksTaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-40882516119013762312011-07-25T21:24:00.000-04:002011-07-25T21:24:07.746-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the road to somewhere</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKgB1psuzJPVC3tgY3iLlqg83A_7i6YY4ttHp5EA9qJVHs3jzqG9p7x2tZataO_wZ4zqAd1js3-W4rp3qe58vlbQajCDshV0ISVaz7ykrn1UaQC8BrqqoV_a2k5PgKiyX2Sgu/s1600/IMG_0885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKgB1psuzJPVC3tgY3iLlqg83A_7i6YY4ttHp5EA9qJVHs3jzqG9p7x2tZataO_wZ4zqAd1js3-W4rp3qe58vlbQajCDshV0ISVaz7ykrn1UaQC8BrqqoV_a2k5PgKiyX2Sgu/s640/IMG_0885.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sometimes a life lesson comes along that actually makes sense.The road there may be rocky, even venomous snake infested and constantly raining, but a rainbow (double rainbow??) could be at the end. I don't know if I've found a rainbow or anything remotely that cliche, but I did get a chance to change my attitude. Let me explain. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On day 1 of my cake assembly and custards class, we were moved 4 times to different kitchens, were not assigned a chef instructor, and were mostly in the wrong course. Not only that, but we were sandwiched with 20 other students beside our class topping off at a hefty 40 person class. We were like sardines. All said and done, classroom sorted out, we end up in a culinary kitchen, not a baking kitchen (different equipment and temperatures) with no hopes of leaving until the completion of this 6 week course. Aside from being thrown in another class, the kitchen was a nightmare. Tables so wobbly they could not be touched, no plugs, no mixers, ovens without windows, and worst of all, an internal temperature of about 85 degrees. "How will my buttercream stand up?" I was wimpering under my breath day after day, huffing and puffing leaving school. It is <i>hot</i> in there. I spent the first 2 weeks flustered over the issue, thinking about my tuition and I could do. Certainly I did <i>not</i> enroll for this cluster.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Convinced to find resolution I sought out the head of the pastry department who is a nationally accredited pastry chef. Even upon arrival, I felt silly in my seemingly whiny complaints, and instead of a verbal wake up call, the chef told me a story of her first experience in a 5 star resort where her work station was a trash can turned upside down with a sheet pan over it. She worked that way for 6 months. Our conversation took a more relaxed turn, and I eased when she told me the classes would get small again, but to remember that work experience is not like a classroom. This is a "duh" moment. However, when I was able to let go of how I thought things "should" be, I was able to relish in my accomplishments in a scorching hot kitchen turning out cakes within an hour. Today during our practical exam, producing whatever cake and buttercream recipe we picked from a hat, there was an awfully excessive amount of complaining from students because the room was 88 degrees. I was able to blow it off and accept the less than favorable, sweat inducing conditions and get an A on my cake. I smiled the whole way home, which I do often, partially because I like smiling, and also because today is the first day I have given thought to being a food stylist. Another note on that later. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are a few cake close ups for your viewing pleasure. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS7EXXRajOjpzGDUyjY_xmk6zLFNZzPZAm2KM52xTICdeqjpSFGKlCS1FJqAJErQ1xsS0xpZOxTt9R_8ESJW_4CO_Nyd-TorAqBjpHT1OtHYCFARoXJopctWgi8ldxxPYDfek/s1600/IMG_0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS7EXXRajOjpzGDUyjY_xmk6zLFNZzPZAm2KM52xTICdeqjpSFGKlCS1FJqAJErQ1xsS0xpZOxTt9R_8ESJW_4CO_Nyd-TorAqBjpHT1OtHYCFARoXJopctWgi8ldxxPYDfek/s640/IMG_0889.JPG" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot cake with a basket weave icing design and marzipan carrots in chocolate sprinkle dirt.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv2RnRrCI7mnMT2d7TJ42FqXkM6FH7XT1EvoBdfippr8-rxTeXUGYTT6ohdd7rKhCKOIG4elWfG4bqmLKzwj4Zo3mCOIRTWYjh7olWOdYIOdqpj42cH0pGzCCAW7eEgP9I4_2/s1600/IMG_0898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv2RnRrCI7mnMT2d7TJ42FqXkM6FH7XT1EvoBdfippr8-rxTeXUGYTT6ohdd7rKhCKOIG4elWfG4bqmLKzwj4Zo3mCOIRTWYjh7olWOdYIOdqpj42cH0pGzCCAW7eEgP9I4_2/s640/IMG_0898.JPG" width="528" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ever had an Opera torte? Coffee butter cream, espresso simple syrup, ganache...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDTWpRXM3s1RfCkIzfk1SH18EgO9eoXKpISKHpMKvfFaJN_RY9B7LgiLClF0iQ8azQbr5GmyWWzWwJDjOhP3zYS3v-EZNGXdN_EK2QFYQC6BJN3YeFO67UAuUjgJcmB7VGP80/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDTWpRXM3s1RfCkIzfk1SH18EgO9eoXKpISKHpMKvfFaJN_RY9B7LgiLClF0iQ8azQbr5GmyWWzWwJDjOhP3zYS3v-EZNGXdN_EK2QFYQC6BJN3YeFO67UAuUjgJcmB7VGP80/s640/photo.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black forest torte, full of brandy and kirsch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdaCrKZlzYm0qDFhmPJ6KBWxvWakqpXGmOswCoDnpJ9t2Eg8St_dkusIZw8nqIooA1VWvv_uHEijR3KYFYnlOqye2dpTLUXaF3mOvI6PsAHkwYPSvPyJczQ558-N91gezC-qc/s1600/IMG_0903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdaCrKZlzYm0qDFhmPJ6KBWxvWakqpXGmOswCoDnpJ9t2Eg8St_dkusIZw8nqIooA1VWvv_uHEijR3KYFYnlOqye2dpTLUXaF3mOvI6PsAHkwYPSvPyJczQ558-N91gezC-qc/s640/IMG_0903.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almond Pound Cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_U4E0w10UbYN_C0rG7nZp8wBraywtTRkXbx7eIT7ocoE0Xs6em2SKxeupHkq_jsNoKtdSBKgpsIGwE4MC5f0GlHyOjyrPfprL9N2whxBwlOYCwei-NAyuIq-ft0jYta43XqK/s1600/IMG_0887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_U4E0w10UbYN_C0rG7nZp8wBraywtTRkXbx7eIT7ocoE0Xs6em2SKxeupHkq_jsNoKtdSBKgpsIGwE4MC5f0GlHyOjyrPfprL9N2whxBwlOYCwei-NAyuIq-ft0jYta43XqK/s640/IMG_0887.JPG" width="594" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devil's food cake with chocolate Italian buttercream and apricot preserve filling- pictured above too</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have three weeks left in this class and the rest of the time with be spent on custards and mousse. Our final project is to create a signature 3 layer stacked mousse with any 3 flavors except chocolate. I'm planning on spinning the concept of figs and honey into a mousse creation. </span>I have a fatal attraction to fresh figs- even dried figs- send them my way. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">...And in the world of music: </span></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">If there was one song I could listen to on repeat right now, it's Architecture in Helsinki's "Contact High" remixed by Clock Opera. Don't bother with the original track- too 80s- and not in a good way. The melody is unassumingly familiar, making you mumble along before you know the words, or simply humming the chorus. It's a song I like to place myself inside because isn't music an escape anyway? I haven't had a real escape in awhile. </span></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/o1CtyR50gi0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-72347922422335079402011-07-13T18:00:00.000-04:002011-07-13T18:00:55.666-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes, we cook.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH6BiWzNU_tQ92aP76dVY9BE0gQh44s0ojsPx2qVmZ9rz21GMpDS3F36Apn493KAzFX2Ztg1COgby-sYJIpp9s4R0sULjzgA4HSBOqw2MkIRJHxRc64PKvYDRRdLvmwJxEx96/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH6BiWzNU_tQ92aP76dVY9BE0gQh44s0ojsPx2qVmZ9rz21GMpDS3F36Apn493KAzFX2Ztg1COgby-sYJIpp9s4R0sULjzgA4HSBOqw2MkIRJHxRc64PKvYDRRdLvmwJxEx96/s400/IMG_0876.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMles1D_hsjfgXFSQ-8FGTkqq8hJMq2-HJPrtOvuSMoRmq1oSJW2XOkI8Vfe7LEK8u1reSrGC6eAuCpXFSPPB6culOWZRO4T07FyKtYjiP3wa3JhVLgLOegyDeQYgNzWzeJolS/s1600/IMG_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMles1D_hsjfgXFSQ-8FGTkqq8hJMq2-HJPrtOvuSMoRmq1oSJW2XOkI8Vfe7LEK8u1reSrGC6eAuCpXFSPPB6culOWZRO4T07FyKtYjiP3wa3JhVLgLOegyDeQYgNzWzeJolS/s400/IMG_0877.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I should say, sometimes <i>he </i>cooks and I dance around the kitchen relishing in <i>not</i> cooking. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A beautiful ahi tuna tower. Layers of fish roe, spicy sprouts, ahi, hoisin plum sauce, sticky rice, avocado and arugula. What would we do with the Asian market? Or the fresh fish market.. and so many wine stores. I had to pair this with a dry rose. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33YnBLvo-zIadRs8OnqXPi6NgAB0a835XRf1eeVvxMun2cPD5mw0ZFDJPJolCCYtZqGhlH_OkBhBSpyQ2IBm2GVZlt3xrFDLHdV7RSczSqoS_VLq4_v4ClqUJJqVGYKy79dWh/s1600/IMG_0881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33YnBLvo-zIadRs8OnqXPi6NgAB0a835XRf1eeVvxMun2cPD5mw0ZFDJPJolCCYtZqGhlH_OkBhBSpyQ2IBm2GVZlt3xrFDLHdV7RSczSqoS_VLq4_v4ClqUJJqVGYKy79dWh/s640/IMG_0881.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOhaCa9ByoBRXEpL1nT4HRjMI5A8Qkb9fiFwXw4btCuWQmxgEYvXFQD1txGPDViNy_1tW7xRFNh3tx6oft97LFjPLRvFGDXHgHzxE7KxVfAEEU8Ai4jrgjP6aOrBH3-EolkXG/s1600/IMG_0883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOhaCa9ByoBRXEpL1nT4HRjMI5A8Qkb9fiFwXw4btCuWQmxgEYvXFQD1txGPDViNy_1tW7xRFNh3tx6oft97LFjPLRvFGDXHgHzxE7KxVfAEEU8Ai4jrgjP6aOrBH3-EolkXG/s640/IMG_0883.JPG" width="486" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Simple yet... Wow. I still think about eating this days after it happened.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What did I make? Simple chocolate mousse, of course. I had to contribute <i>something</i> to the dinner and I had figs on the mind..and dark chocolate..and coconut..and coffee. I don't have a picture for this creation, but it is an elegant 10 minute dessert. I was inspired by Heidi Swanson's <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/no-bake-chocolate-cake-recipe.html">No Bake Chocolate Cake</a>. I simply made a couple substitutions. Coconut milk for heavy cream, cinnamon for allspice, and topping the dessert with coconut whipped cream and fresh sliced figs. I like my version better, but until I have some pictures, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. </div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-37771113486903308662011-07-06T23:00:00.000-04:002011-07-06T23:00:48.238-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Back at it and not in it.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I love Hot Chip. I want to zone out in my imaginary perfectly stocked catering kitchen, baking oddly flavored (and of course, deliciously mindblowing) </span>pastry confections.<br />
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This past weekend was the first time I got to "free bake." Free baking is what I do when I let my taste buds speak and jot down every possible combination with one main flavor. Coconut is where my head's at on this one. Not a fruity coconut, but a creamy and dense pound cake texture. And lime. And cream. And a simple color scheme. Where did I end up.....<br />
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Take a look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5658HS_bTTtfYjwEfHG2nGP_mnP7WUHoWib3Vt2K7zHow0Y6-w4duPdOD33DO9IdEo8xpFXKNCCNVxlPkFtnwpqw3iZLFi42v3sXU5pGt7jaKoPCsn9qSrVzc7d4-sAPorp7/s1600/coconutcupcake1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5658HS_bTTtfYjwEfHG2nGP_mnP7WUHoWib3Vt2K7zHow0Y6-w4duPdOD33DO9IdEo8xpFXKNCCNVxlPkFtnwpqw3iZLFi42v3sXU5pGt7jaKoPCsn9qSrVzc7d4-sAPorp7/s640/coconutcupcake1.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coco loco summer love.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>I have to give credit where credit is due- a perfectly simple cookbook I found browsing at the library. Yes, I am a proud library card holder. And I would love to tell you the name of that cookbook, but it's in my car. (Will fix that later..)<br />
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Of course I added a few things, took a few things out, and made it my own. My cupcake creation was a <b>coconut pound cake filled with tangy lime curd and topped with whipped coconut cream cheese</b> <b>icing</b>. I accented with a touch of <b>crystallized ginger</b> and <b>shaved coconut pieces</b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LqlV-Ep1nATdsseKZD36sYtEBScdx_IZIdftsSd4vaHqtfnbOUQ4WexwLW_qMVmP85cw39AWCuLM_mC_X_Dj2zHya8wXlYI5-VEB2x3m7RhthZsCtlBu7JpN0R7_8i5G8uPU/s1600/coconutcupcake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LqlV-Ep1nATdsseKZD36sYtEBScdx_IZIdftsSd4vaHqtfnbOUQ4WexwLW_qMVmP85cw39AWCuLM_mC_X_Dj2zHya8wXlYI5-VEB2x3m7RhthZsCtlBu7JpN0R7_8i5G8uPU/s640/coconutcupcake2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candied ginger is a spicy contrast to the cool coconut cream.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I would not be telling the truth if I said this recipe was a complete success. Was it irresistible after I took one bite? Yes. Visually, it did not match my sketches of what it should have been, but I guess I'm bound to fail once in awhile. I pictured tall swirled pillowtops of icing, while the actual icing would not tighten as it should. I blame the Florida humidity. I am so very pleased to give you a recipe after 3 months of just pictures of baking school.<br />
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<b>Coco Loco Cupcake</b><br />
2 sticks unsalted butter<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
3 cups flour<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
3 tsp vanilla<br />
1 1/2 cup coconut milk<br />
7 egg whites<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350. Line your cupcake tins. Cream together the butter and sugar in the mixer with a paddle attachment or by hand with a spatula. It should look like a paste. Add the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl (dry mixture). In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla and coconut milk (wet mixture). Alternate adding in the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry, until just incorporated. <br />
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In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the cake batter until just mixed. Use a scoop to portion into cupcake tins. Baking time varies.. give them a glance around 22 minutes. They should spring back when you touch the top and be lightly golden. Let cool completely. Makes 24 cupcakes. <br />
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<b>Lime Curd Filling </b><br />
3 egg yolks<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup lime juice<br />
zest of 3 limes<br />
6 tbsp unsalted butter<br />
<br />
In a bowl, whisk all ingredients <b>except</b> the butter. Place the bowl over a water bath on the stove. Whisk about 8-10 minutes, or until thick. When lime curd becomes thick, remove from heat and immediately whisk in butter. Strain in cheesecloth to remove all of the zest. Cover and chill overnight. <br />
*Can be made in advance. I made mine 2 days in advance.<br />
<br />
<b>Whipped Coconut Cream Cheese Icing </b><b> </b><br />
1 stick butter<br />
8 oz cream cheese<br />
8 oz cream of coconut<br />
1 tbsp vanilla<br />
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar<br />
16 oz heavy whipping cream<br />
<br />
Cream together the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until completely combined. Add the cream of coconut and vanilla. Mix. Slowly add the sugar while using the hand mixer. Be careful not to "antique" yourself. Icing should come together but still be a bit soft.<br />
<br />
In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into icing. Chill overnight.<br />
*Can be made at least 2 days in advance.<br />
<br />
Garnish with tasty bits. That's it. Coco Loco summer lovin cakes.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-31370155041309992082011-06-28T17:18:00.000-04:002011-06-28T17:18:08.855-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">Summer favorites...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsFdT5bB6JBkmlpS8n845YAaqlnhMTIaFMLSd2SWKCNrRrvVel_trkbj6vAAtijhO-SSYbMMDDZIB8BghGDVhITUjO-O04zh_Q8im1UnxYkHImUiCkPwVLq74GnXjIw6YeaLh/s1600/20090629213707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsFdT5bB6JBkmlpS8n845YAaqlnhMTIaFMLSd2SWKCNrRrvVel_trkbj6vAAtijhO-SSYbMMDDZIB8BghGDVhITUjO-O04zh_Q8im1UnxYkHImUiCkPwVLq74GnXjIw6YeaLh/s640/20090629213707.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>What does summer mean to you? To me, it means listening to Sebastien Tellier, plenty of bossa nova, indulging in <em>rosé wine and long beach/boat days on the water that end with a whole fried fish and a very sandy bed. </em></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>I'm on a summer break, if you can call it that.. after being in college and getting about 5 months off a year, this 10 days off seems a bit cheap, but I'll take it. I finished off my Bread and Viennoisserie class with an A+ and my next is Advanced Patisserie Technique. Finally, I'll be knocking out some tiramisu and maybe even an opera torte. Rumor has it we'll be making frozen desserts too. Add a day or two in cannoli making and I will be on cloud nine.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Here is the rundown in photos of my last two weeks before break.</em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifkrzXaLpkPFwUaInBtcwcq7wcbjFMc5QlBXn-Q16RWxkJ2rZ6g6IMplE4Fn6FhyphenhyphenRHn6AnTiHeQ95GcfjZq1bvuuoSLqrKeCL-FeqQE6oNsf58xQ81xiIyB6DpeK2MUqbfqeI/s1600/IMG_0821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifkrzXaLpkPFwUaInBtcwcq7wcbjFMc5QlBXn-Q16RWxkJ2rZ6g6IMplE4Fn6FhyphenhyphenRHn6AnTiHeQ95GcfjZq1bvuuoSLqrKeCL-FeqQE6oNsf58xQ81xiIyB6DpeK2MUqbfqeI/s640/IMG_0821.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Channeling a fancy strawberry shortcake~ Napoleon filled with Bavarian creme and strawberry preserves</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1YrlSGVpFYwcFTBlqar7HJpn1-eYglbB-BDpYNH-ujp5Q_6YOPmiK6ldjFL_RjnX_AMwVh7ZZsT1mfpLiZpsqbfhMT3VGt6kGfWpp7yVmVzm_ONXq8pJTJl1jgflOqDppPI8/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1YrlSGVpFYwcFTBlqar7HJpn1-eYglbB-BDpYNH-ujp5Q_6YOPmiK6ldjFL_RjnX_AMwVh7ZZsT1mfpLiZpsqbfhMT3VGt6kGfWpp7yVmVzm_ONXq8pJTJl1jgflOqDppPI8/s640/IMG_0822.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handcut pithivier filled with almond creme... I have knife skills..</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn4scLvRzZ8f-s3mUUfXRwVTP4dSPa3EZCvd5B95Q0RloeFz5GVQ0k4mWDTzH2g3054avHNfXIcyheoqtgkN6SRln42IHgZwKWe8vLI3A4uN1Rf8t0Bbp7g9ftVxmHKGp0c1k/s1600/IMG_0824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn4scLvRzZ8f-s3mUUfXRwVTP4dSPa3EZCvd5B95Q0RloeFz5GVQ0k4mWDTzH2g3054avHNfXIcyheoqtgkN6SRln42IHgZwKWe8vLI3A4uN1Rf8t0Bbp7g9ftVxmHKGp0c1k/s640/IMG_0824.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute sugar crusted miniature palmiers</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19EaGsKtfqsrh4v_EZDcy40Y-4XDeyDBQ24bBDlLBRxkDWbl9duz0bgN_iwVFYr2Gcqpx75sAushhdi6xRysxyaFy373v9xFQ7C8N_CEUldYmphmQUMM1WqXMUCA8gd1AYmMm/s1600/IMG_0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19EaGsKtfqsrh4v_EZDcy40Y-4XDeyDBQ24bBDlLBRxkDWbl9duz0bgN_iwVFYr2Gcqpx75sAushhdi6xRysxyaFy373v9xFQ7C8N_CEUldYmphmQUMM1WqXMUCA8gd1AYmMm/s640/IMG_0827.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croissants worth writing home about</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklIEuTqvKhbjsyeXwjp6VLiLY9Iia7lDMlvMpLCfsju5BmNfineXj36BHcAZSbgkX5MyMvRGuZoqTNHbTmZgX6-we_6yXbO5OUUcUYmwV5ad2DNXUWVEG1LU0jhONCCOHX_00/s1600/IMG_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklIEuTqvKhbjsyeXwjp6VLiLY9Iia7lDMlvMpLCfsju5BmNfineXj36BHcAZSbgkX5MyMvRGuZoqTNHbTmZgX6-we_6yXbO5OUUcUYmwV5ad2DNXUWVEG1LU0jhONCCOHX_00/s640/IMG_0828.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate croissants</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuO56fmqvdzncf8R43hsGROkVovhzenhoOoQFFb9F9VJo6mjVtaW5noCr-s2TJjs1baezsD8t4W98tZbOa4mMW1yhM1U6ZI2NkZVVTYiXl6OYwe2yIZbgf4DSSrNThtOW6VIRa/s1600/IMG_0834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuO56fmqvdzncf8R43hsGROkVovhzenhoOoQFFb9F9VJo6mjVtaW5noCr-s2TJjs1baezsD8t4W98tZbOa4mMW1yhM1U6ZI2NkZVVTYiXl6OYwe2yIZbgf4DSSrNThtOW6VIRa/s640/IMG_0834.JPG" width="532" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goat cheese, sun dried tomato & basil croissants</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-7jGopimeOxEbYOsvbHys_CRobGvwEZibJJGyuvKoa0xPpgRj6cuUEB1jAIJyWFmO-ujCSOvhDmavMpNMXBdpos77tKUEztWuSbiUlOOhNfFrmJ0wEOYlBqCYiLJxo4vl0q1/s1600/IMG_0829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-7jGopimeOxEbYOsvbHys_CRobGvwEZibJJGyuvKoa0xPpgRj6cuUEB1jAIJyWFmO-ujCSOvhDmavMpNMXBdpos77tKUEztWuSbiUlOOhNfFrmJ0wEOYlBqCYiLJxo4vl0q1/s640/IMG_0829.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was told not to make bear claws look like actual bear claws, but I couldn't help myself!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHH-pVnMfVnEYPPtIUlx9degriRGeaEACbWimVBpWppEaWYrH1b_NJmmT8RTM8-SE_du3OYLECyl50JiBtmZ_cG9y6XFlhN3moQXRhcE-57mOWHhakTJD86D59lp143O4SoF2I/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHH-pVnMfVnEYPPtIUlx9degriRGeaEACbWimVBpWppEaWYrH1b_NJmmT8RTM8-SE_du3OYLECyl50JiBtmZ_cG9y6XFlhN3moQXRhcE-57mOWHhakTJD86D59lp143O4SoF2I/s640/IMG_0844.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the "correct" bear claw formation, both filled with pecans, cinnamon and sugar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFXuZEUAHzYotPgXy_KwcGa6bCT3eMa9HAYL5n_x-H2R0XI9JDpwsm3bZrtIEjWXxEHCZ1WVBCeiBCmiGFVAfsSuiZ1LE0aS3r9gyL6DJ1-wrVklcZ0yc9HWoyyeLy1AsXF_l/s1600/IMG_0832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFXuZEUAHzYotPgXy_KwcGa6bCT3eMa9HAYL5n_x-H2R0XI9JDpwsm3bZrtIEjWXxEHCZ1WVBCeiBCmiGFVAfsSuiZ1LE0aS3r9gyL6DJ1-wrVklcZ0yc9HWoyyeLy1AsXF_l/s640/IMG_0832.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guava filled danish pastry</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gNz5peemg1_NlL6ymCNjNvo2BINakxRv2ezFu5xQ-PplTwRoxSc1Gum0sfQVf3NEc4Adq-Ek-Sh15n274pMVp7-P1xUyY_r_o860hEZgRLgqO1Va-bCv4XlO1p3af7jarFLn/s1600/IMG_0841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gNz5peemg1_NlL6ymCNjNvo2BINakxRv2ezFu5xQ-PplTwRoxSc1Gum0sfQVf3NEc4Adq-Ek-Sh15n274pMVp7-P1xUyY_r_o860hEZgRLgqO1Va-bCv4XlO1p3af7jarFLn/s640/IMG_0841.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second way to do a danish- covered in apricot glaze and flat vanilla icing, filled with apples.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_rxp1gU83VYFJ-l38E9ld7N7wUjXNQhPpZmWTp_w5FEutbLkqfKJQMWd5Mns3xXWhQ8UFuCd7Gly8_jl7LGf10dpDek0UheuqJxf1fmCJMHKlRhTgDkw5kpH-uLw10GCwe0x/s1600/IMG_0845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_rxp1gU83VYFJ-l38E9ld7N7wUjXNQhPpZmWTp_w5FEutbLkqfKJQMWd5Mns3xXWhQ8UFuCd7Gly8_jl7LGf10dpDek0UheuqJxf1fmCJMHKlRhTgDkw5kpH-uLw10GCwe0x/s640/IMG_0845.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little slice of heaven if you love honey as much as I do... Baklava.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR-SOg0pRw_i-4uvssUktOMUIAlFrn5n-l4ug0sJufUg9OBB67QN9pDx05rIQeXoI3AnjcLVQR17smf-wvOS4kyPBbSjoAQlQAyhFCb_dys9UtiLyhjhK1MI4Bo0Z_pKu7_C4/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR-SOg0pRw_i-4uvssUktOMUIAlFrn5n-l4ug0sJufUg9OBB67QN9pDx05rIQeXoI3AnjcLVQR17smf-wvOS4kyPBbSjoAQlQAyhFCb_dys9UtiLyhjhK1MI4Bo0Z_pKu7_C4/s640/IMG_0846.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I brought it home to my mom to share with her friends. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>And now finally to the summer favorites list... </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>If you are like me then you LOVE sangria....here are two recipes I've been dying to try out: CHOW.com's <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/26241-lambic-sangria">Lambic Sangria</a> looks like everything that's good in the world. Bon Appetit ( of course) has me salivating over their </em><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/06/rose_sangria">Rosé sangria with pinapple and guava</a>.</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i>I am kind of obsessed with having a bento box for lunch. A bento box is something so nice looking you don't want to eat it. Food art. It feeds into the Japanese side of me that I claim is real. I had a bento box today. Check them <a href="http://bonitofood.blogspot.com/">here</a>. </i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i>I like weird photos. I pride myself in collecting them. Find your own<a href="http://ffffound.com/"> here</a>. </i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i>Art things. <a href="http://www.bellwethergallery.com/artistsindex_01.cfm?fid=9">Bellwether Gallery</a>. </i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i>Fashion things. <a href="http://www.shoplesnouvelles.com/solo2/dev/page/load/88/">Les Nouvelles</a>. </i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i>Where I wish I was spending my summer holiday:<a href="http://www.capri.com/"> Capri</a>, of course. </i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="ingredient"><span class="name"><i>And now, I'll send you off with classic Tellier's "Kilometer".........</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHsNNOj6iAbq5jZqjiQ4qmD4chxjG_Jn74Q0K6Lcg8Z0TpUQ-6go9V6ItDL08y-Jx_gqwzutyEMBuAA52WN7KM18cqBsAIL0x1Ppt86ABe8Rp7cxgy8kVA10ujwDC1n2ykrZ2/s1600/IMG_0855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="230" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/3486497?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/3486497">Sebastien Tellier - Kilometer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/luckynumbermusic">Lucky Number Music</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcypp6KKiBOK_qIVnusscqpFIfYZch_k46q5bybt0U0-qMv-BpZMYJDOeEeeNL2Pa0viZcyg8QXqlKE2vXc_YCi8dWvTjSYdA7y9etLpRnZ-ZnNnsn-y7xik2InTnmXRdBfH7M/s1600/vogueitalia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-66435038328570331622011-06-09T23:23:00.000-04:002011-06-09T23:23:31.471-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The grass is greener....</span><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVUbaS5KQgnazfh2cZFD2bPioPI-5D9vlaNMfrvF4o9_J5ncO-nTG0KrL27GpHqCwudd2QGZXGLG2sRoZDZnn2QMV2ZJP78mE-chdIXujPNRAxMrUjvMKbM6gZWBd3K2Iwjaa/s640/assateague-island-beach-image.jpg" width="640" /></div><br />
Ever been to Assateague? I only surfed it once during my random summer spent in Ocean City, MD, but I think about it often. It is a beach inhabited with wild ponies. They run the show. If they want to trample your towel and eat from your cooler, chomp on your beer cans and whinny all over your folding chair, then move over. I remember watching it from the line up and my jaw nearly dropped in excitement. The reason I recall that day, other than the territorial animals, is because I lived every moment as it came along. Each wave. Each conversation with my girlfriend surfing with me. The clouds. The air (chilly!). And the horrified look on a middle-aged woman's face as a proud pony snorted in her face and stomped on her woven sunhat and rattan beach bag, only to run off with its friends and start an all out stampede. <br />
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Sometimes we focus so much on what's to come, we forget to look at what we're actually doing. I am definitely guilty of that right now. I find myself constantly planning ahead, looking to tomorrow, next week, month, and so forth. But what about now? I had to tune back in today. I've been on autopilot. I've noticed it even more since I moved to Orlando. Now when I go to the beach, almost every weekend, I want to spend every minute like it's an hour, and you'll often hear me saying jokingly it's the best day of my life. But when I lived on the beach, I was unhappy, unsettled, and felt like I was wasting my potential... And the cycle continues....and so the grass is greener always it seems. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this habit.<br />
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It doesn't help that I've been in a Bread and Viennoiserie class for over a month. The concept of breadmaking is "hurry up and wait." Three and a half hours of this. Make your dough, let it proof, fold it, scale it, rest it, shape it, proof it and so on. I miss baking little sweet treats! Atleast we made puff pastry and did some different formations. There is a lot of photos because I have waited until now to post all the bread pictures. I figured it wasn't that exciting but maybe someone will be fascinated by it. In that case, feel free to drop me a line and I'll tell you all my bread secrets.<br />
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This is our main bread oven. I wish I had a single oven this wide in my house. Maybe one day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJXJygPqXhZwiEUyeRkqH8LMIIOz-JBIAkYlYMZ9O1V31juC8c21vd3C6gh2Vb3ruhqC3FReJs1lKQueluU7cIaERyIu8g9r7TS9Kh1jwGvNFJNmbE4CXt13ehEAy2yiJlk3K/s1600/IMG_0740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJXJygPqXhZwiEUyeRkqH8LMIIOz-JBIAkYlYMZ9O1V31juC8c21vd3C6gh2Vb3ruhqC3FReJs1lKQueluU7cIaERyIu8g9r7TS9Kh1jwGvNFJNmbE4CXt13ehEAy2yiJlk3K/s400/IMG_0740.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>J'aime des baguettes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7ynDVXB2IkJhr_ND-UpnBENwT6MQbe72EAHhe34zehHUU7SLJq7NGczTNkQGM0_TL-TShe_YEdvRyQqG0QbOfTR3GiTR1W832XYLBVO-q8mwPvn5bFuR9fgomG8uM0IvSP9A/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7ynDVXB2IkJhr_ND-UpnBENwT6MQbe72EAHhe34zehHUU7SLJq7NGczTNkQGM0_TL-TShe_YEdvRyQqG0QbOfTR3GiTR1W832XYLBVO-q8mwPvn5bFuR9fgomG8uM0IvSP9A/s400/IMG_0747.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">White pan bread at its finest, aka white mountain bread if you shop at Publix. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc17NNcMrTYPBTBvvGzShRn6d9v9L_AlUgzkIkuCkjMZYIDBttfvvA7fl5gcocrNsTodwQ-sxrYyDQkGHHJlopbMKa1xCEjpF-_ov_srxLiSo6UcYbwCK-w4z7RTm700vsLR1/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc17NNcMrTYPBTBvvGzShRn6d9v9L_AlUgzkIkuCkjMZYIDBttfvvA7fl5gcocrNsTodwQ-sxrYyDQkGHHJlopbMKa1xCEjpF-_ov_srxLiSo6UcYbwCK-w4z7RTm700vsLR1/s400/IMG_0751.JPG" width="332" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="goog_1255725520"></span><span id="goog_1255725521"></span></div>Fresh sage, garlic, and rock salt epi formation with baguette dough.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIP7sebNq3Bb879ioIaN7Qp8pt0h23IfqSWKcNmvIXlJqTKlja1z-j5qS4fF7Z5sTe2wp5eSpEXqPj9JCtP5fXjLe2CxWODoP6IFTauKcpCjVAP6Th7GJhWDekKzGQ_e3t-Tc/s1600/IMG_0759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIP7sebNq3Bb879ioIaN7Qp8pt0h23IfqSWKcNmvIXlJqTKlja1z-j5qS4fF7Z5sTe2wp5eSpEXqPj9JCtP5fXjLe2CxWODoP6IFTauKcpCjVAP6Th7GJhWDekKzGQ_e3t-Tc/s400/IMG_0759.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>And now in a fougasse (foo-gahz) formation.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fX3j-R9FKCBEcK9hu7yu4VgECr97PC2hkYL_2YyK5IuPaK0Y-gbUVccdxmI28a0ApOFwWB0wiop8GHtaZSfvqsR4JAUJM7rNJKi69wNyz5F1zBTXFn8Dwq7iRn_PRjcpKo5r/s1600/IMG_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fX3j-R9FKCBEcK9hu7yu4VgECr97PC2hkYL_2YyK5IuPaK0Y-gbUVccdxmI28a0ApOFwWB0wiop8GHtaZSfvqsR4JAUJM7rNJKi69wNyz5F1zBTXFn8Dwq7iRn_PRjcpKo5r/s400/IMG_0762.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>And we made brick oven pizzas. I let my partner put meat on the pizza because I wasn't going to eat it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkWp_LakcFbdcYCHk3M9EIG3Oy0bnew7eFeUVzHjetm0_-dkYPJwZLkG7NC86VQ7y_tDPBVs13JoLVa25A1QmHni1iqohdNsKlyudcximT89CSaW6-QzIKgr91rXVCHPhjG9L/s400/IMG_0771.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosemary and rock salt focaccia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKQYDm6RnK8tZiReXyovbEZNRBuvwuq-Ek-iDVfaubIQm0V9RyonAfGFlYXHieicL7y32eJ3h3-nsHheEQg7TaW1r-7Aj-fNjHxgCGoiqfwdheQWjoKGJJM32DLOw_6YzoUKt/s1600/IMG_0773.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKQYDm6RnK8tZiReXyovbEZNRBuvwuq-Ek-iDVfaubIQm0V9RyonAfGFlYXHieicL7y32eJ3h3-nsHheEQg7TaW1r-7Aj-fNjHxgCGoiqfwdheQWjoKGJJM32DLOw_6YzoUKt/s320/IMG_0773.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Swirled pumpernickel loaf.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8BaCYeWKtexsTQncU0P4VGfS9MdOg6aqCR-vnDvlEWg2EStw55jIHluznmg9t41XBC8RQi2x3MwkBA_MNhkQBb_LHrgjtEsmYN4nOy5x6i2sex94JaY_ZnuAewtr_cy0jTKD/s1600/IMG_0779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8BaCYeWKtexsTQncU0P4VGfS9MdOg6aqCR-vnDvlEWg2EStw55jIHluznmg9t41XBC8RQi2x3MwkBA_MNhkQBb_LHrgjtEsmYN4nOy5x6i2sex94JaY_ZnuAewtr_cy0jTKD/s400/IMG_0779.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> Pain de campagne. Sounds fancy, tastes pretty standard. Contains animal fat. Meh.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ5xB4aaEUSNYB5V8YxHLEwG41wNmYudRXhmeFrHDEwUXXnMHGscvyLN7W1jw3AgQhMbwjc2IqWvxuDd2_dy4GalrdMyn64IZ2nP_saBmzVB1BhTX0HxzkoceWqcJ7lh726D5/s1600/IMG_0782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ5xB4aaEUSNYB5V8YxHLEwG41wNmYudRXhmeFrHDEwUXXnMHGscvyLN7W1jw3AgQhMbwjc2IqWvxuDd2_dy4GalrdMyn64IZ2nP_saBmzVB1BhTX0HxzkoceWqcJ7lh726D5/s400/IMG_0782.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> Ciabatta! Mussels marinara anyone?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RfA9g_M2XoXJxKvpa9m1l4a0s9lYZZN5BWMhaeukMcIiJxRBvjW1N2z_AXi-hY4JMDFyZNp_dVCUqqEsnBWOLb14ods92Qu4WIUaWEsoxY61B1tw5mLKKLEYSeoBZkmmDurb/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RfA9g_M2XoXJxKvpa9m1l4a0s9lYZZN5BWMhaeukMcIiJxRBvjW1N2z_AXi-hY4JMDFyZNp_dVCUqqEsnBWOLb14ods92Qu4WIUaWEsoxY61B1tw5mLKKLEYSeoBZkmmDurb/s400/IMG_0787.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Soft rolls in several formations. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3nFrMIzUUnSKbvanEsh1zF5sdXvk1ixDTUYlSzhSmdOGAg8-AKTKd9691LGfL_PAZAJHYsvHBaJVuVYBguz38T_7FVVzX7BujeheyrOvzVdHtJHSx7ZmWe8k7ePz4q5rlEGm/s400/IMG_0801.JPG" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Amish pretzels... they have little fu-man-chu mustaches..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmZf99Ny3ZLiM1Mql9su7xpvt9ew6uQbuCLLHL44MF9dm7ydpxYymFtTFR1XhGWUZ3Mis5s1O5GP_iMfaHSTvS4NyRp4e1ynrCMOkR9Lm6i5sQRWZ68GmORuOMTv3jIBwerHs/s400/IMG_0804.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black sesame, poppyseed, and coarse salt bagels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1b5td5ztKvO7kQxC4UU-H832mBoAs73CTihcZ37JNOeDsXDvawMDFkpszLu8ye0aGaJrFMbxILHqdpGuXQ4856DbYshGi0nfJaZvmk5uC28Ami07zjqCYfnZGAt7us-rM7eV/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1b5td5ztKvO7kQxC4UU-H832mBoAs73CTihcZ37JNOeDsXDvawMDFkpszLu8ye0aGaJrFMbxILHqdpGuXQ4856DbYshGi0nfJaZvmk5uC28Ami07zjqCYfnZGAt7us-rM7eV/s400/IMG_0805.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple cinnamon coffee cakes, double chocolate chip muffins, and cranberry chocolate scones. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLt44vVymxg02MPfWOu57UmCT2W4afK4sw2LxHsID9eky2YEJznEPd2kLf5LpJHJupy8ieyYaWg8K_-b2RfGL1D5WUAsYxX1QThDKqOw6p-KxWAsGpUISIEYVJdpl_I26O_k4/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry boulee formations of puff pastry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj0hpYMnL0aRwg9e-f2TvFBvbHxjkCV4Na6Oe5Ifb0ZuldZdNSuVyLin4vYegwFLQIRdIEyk222QrKayJtLoCVuRPDElbySRKippYBfn1croQikrQ5vgh450qsHXK6jgON468/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj0hpYMnL0aRwg9e-f2TvFBvbHxjkCV4Na6Oe5Ifb0ZuldZdNSuVyLin4vYegwFLQIRdIEyk222QrKayJtLoCVuRPDElbySRKippYBfn1croQikrQ5vgh450qsHXK6jgON468/s400/IMG_0814.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple or guava turnovers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShBrKPXVqG3_1WS6jL-i5eTOG4OxYqsiTLuo4XrwTg-PW040qIgwAjDUESUC-Fs-QmuiJymq95pqtpBsgF4IT7UcDXuVsra8Q3ptJKFHvEhCP6kyOMwUkHs6UPCPq6t9tVTmp/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShBrKPXVqG3_1WS6jL-i5eTOG4OxYqsiTLuo4XrwTg-PW040qIgwAjDUESUC-Fs-QmuiJymq95pqtpBsgF4IT7UcDXuVsra8Q3ptJKFHvEhCP6kyOMwUkHs6UPCPq6t9tVTmp/s400/IMG_0815.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puff pastry pinwheels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbFHMrtnk-s-phwk50lXc_iAtgQbt-J8wC9g3FMTBmNWKcjHkOA9S-JXvY1NRUwiMYxr2545eAIDcFgu_CB5k-ltP8Fg7abaiF1QYhbvrOZuaHb-o6ytCCjmcV7h6nXD3KZwo/s1600/IMG_0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbFHMrtnk-s-phwk50lXc_iAtgQbt-J8wC9g3FMTBmNWKcjHkOA9S-JXvY1NRUwiMYxr2545eAIDcFgu_CB5k-ltP8Fg7abaiF1QYhbvrOZuaHb-o6ytCCjmcV7h6nXD3KZwo/s400/IMG_0816.JPG" width="332" /></a></div>Rosemary olive oil cake with bittersweet chocolate chunks. I can't take credit for this one. I made it from <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/rosemary-olive-oil-cake-recipe.html">Heidi Swanson's 101 cookbooks website</a>. It smelled divine. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ1aZCKWbXKtYTj4q7gaxL4aazvYfOhC3MY2X0PHr6xgOFq4LerqJ5JOemE1NCFqV6bm-kLGv7lO4mtGpPdCZzLjKaq2Cy9KgqfpXhg8-4dGZ0QYFHabY29lLXbRgCrGFlXOO/s1600/IMG_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ1aZCKWbXKtYTj4q7gaxL4aazvYfOhC3MY2X0PHr6xgOFq4LerqJ5JOemE1NCFqV6bm-kLGv7lO4mtGpPdCZzLjKaq2Cy9KgqfpXhg8-4dGZ0QYFHabY29lLXbRgCrGFlXOO/s400/IMG_0812.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> Challah bread. Pronounced Hollllllaaa... Can I holla atchu?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJzAL3JsGFWnyppn4iQ3GZrkXV3SD53kTLY20_OOMQedJiL2ZH_0Clmhac42vN9oymKPjshBAJCA-9bdl0mdAfRllGH1asfED3QjVoqZkzgBILGgH3mdTAahX-a24iksCr-v9/s1600/IMG_0810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJzAL3JsGFWnyppn4iQ3GZrkXV3SD53kTLY20_OOMQedJiL2ZH_0Clmhac42vN9oymKPjshBAJCA-9bdl0mdAfRllGH1asfED3QjVoqZkzgBILGgH3mdTAahX-a24iksCr-v9/s400/IMG_0810.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally my brie en croute from outer space. My fluted round details on top really blew up. In hind site, a simple handcrafted leaf would have been better. But I am fond of my little cheese pastry martian. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx5xuZDt6R1Yt_8rRbZKDd1IfCuQkrbAt7Z21s9KZUcOOlYj5lH-HmB2q-RjFZbyUfl1r9huMdWORNq4_2kvlTohmzp3SiayMnHP0pWIM6VyBdToiwL_z2YKwwSVClYzQn6el/s1600/IMG_0818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx5xuZDt6R1Yt_8rRbZKDd1IfCuQkrbAt7Z21s9KZUcOOlYj5lH-HmB2q-RjFZbyUfl1r9huMdWORNq4_2kvlTohmzp3SiayMnHP0pWIM6VyBdToiwL_z2YKwwSVClYzQn6el/s400/IMG_0818.JPG" width="332" /></a></div><br />
And now, only 2 weeks left until my "summer break" which lasts 10 days. Can't wait to lounge in my bikini for the entire duration, slam coconut waters, use the ocean as a shower and live like an island child, because that's who I am.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-32749814621743971192011-05-23T22:47:00.005-04:002011-06-09T21:41:48.360-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Long awaited peacefulness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has only been two months here in Orlando and I can admit to a concrete list of accomplishments... and with that a longer list of undone to-do's, mostly scribbled on random pieces of paper throughout my room.</span></span><br />
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I officially passed (with an A+) my very first patisserie and baking class at Le Cordon Bleu. I do have more than a few photos to share. Hit play on this Munk banger and feel free to swing your hair around while you browse.<br />
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To start, these are the first two cakes I've made at LCB... handcrafted buttercream roses.. don't worry about those. The rest is simple and fairly standard, a yellow chiffon cake with vanilla buttercream, raspberry preserves, and hazelnut coating.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYC8cNYNMhS56flpVnP5R8pWCb8KqcZjfEVb-2xySTiXqAhhRRj05vopBLPrO1iikYNrlRAd3Ij-ZCQ2v71lGc319gmsaiXlE6xPs02BmOz1ZZxVD2l8x-FurnLNBzkYf8XbH/s1600/IMG_0683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYC8cNYNMhS56flpVnP5R8pWCb8KqcZjfEVb-2xySTiXqAhhRRj05vopBLPrO1iikYNrlRAd3Ij-ZCQ2v71lGc319gmsaiXlE6xPs02BmOz1ZZxVD2l8x-FurnLNBzkYf8XbH/s400/IMG_0683.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcUDy7Iy-lX7wSpXSjCm4iKtk26essXnUXmhgf5r3RwJp4R4dAc-7jauLnzQu1EmU9XG2ntXHbL5YCQVMYfNNWsB6F5gNdRMCptUZQyxV2IfXzyszUShPpu9pp71DOrNO84eR/s1600/IMG_0687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcUDy7Iy-lX7wSpXSjCm4iKtk26essXnUXmhgf5r3RwJp4R4dAc-7jauLnzQu1EmU9XG2ntXHbL5YCQVMYfNNWsB6F5gNdRMCptUZQyxV2IfXzyszUShPpu9pp71DOrNO84eR/s400/IMG_0687.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
This is based off the world famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachertorte">Sachertorte.</a> It is a sinfully decadent, highly addictive chocolate cake with chocolate ganache coating. My cake vision was to throw together some peanut butter whipped cream filling and raspberry preserves to create a peanut butter jelly monster cake. I ate 1/4 of it before swearing it off... and then cutting off another sliver "to make the cut straight" from before. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfnYbTc0f9gPFsLu_gM_H_RDlrLz7yW1vV_f_pEYOTGXHnoqx0SV5tFJXprLhvHKQufXsf7j1xgU7i6v-22LVGU80Rlwk02dR7yq-WA2BKdUvUb27yITWEYUdRbGgCUROlEMY/s1600/IMG_0695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfnYbTc0f9gPFsLu_gM_H_RDlrLz7yW1vV_f_pEYOTGXHnoqx0SV5tFJXprLhvHKQufXsf7j1xgU7i6v-22LVGU80Rlwk02dR7yq-WA2BKdUvUb27yITWEYUdRbGgCUROlEMY/s400/IMG_0695.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SM2ratWseqdnG9RG9tCr267bze15jv9Mnfl5X46cRMQ4EwB0lo-r0XijTS8Ppc5-3u9pAhyk9Ufbrsgj-0q7XiyvYVZXQZlAx0x1X-MScSlYX-waEj4ZqmrEeMrq8d2iTmNi/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SM2ratWseqdnG9RG9tCr267bze15jv9Mnfl5X46cRMQ4EwB0lo-r0XijTS8Ppc5-3u9pAhyk9Ufbrsgj-0q7XiyvYVZXQZlAx0x1X-MScSlYX-waEj4ZqmrEeMrq8d2iTmNi/s400/IMG_0700.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>The conclusion of my intro pastry class was to team up and produce a final sweets table of everything we learned through the course. As I mentioned before, our theme was Alice in Wonderland. Production was spaced out over 4 days and we had to make a couple dozens treats from 6 different categories. It was definitely a change of pace...a couple days with no instruction and free reign for 4 hours of any ingredients. I can totally see myself in the future, putting on my huge headphones and tuning in to beautiful beats for hours on end as I decorate cakes and plan petite fours for parties.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ66Y89eFzsaoR10tnBTEk_TcWr9pBAoH2EYfqrlxFlkKg2q1fw1avJxttVCOig9v81uthCjXj3VPp8ICRUv_8hRtXNDktY5_iDpmMTFzDRoqrSG7d0jNynSMnuBpQApvPO0l/s1600/220858_1989868356392_1533844119_32225321_1626607_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZ66Y89eFzsaoR10tnBTEk_TcWr9pBAoH2EYfqrlxFlkKg2q1fw1avJxttVCOig9v81uthCjXj3VPp8ICRUv_8hRtXNDktY5_iDpmMTFzDRoqrSG7d0jNynSMnuBpQApvPO0l/s640/220858_1989868356392_1533844119_32225321_1626607_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Centerpiece of our table... Cheshire cat morphing into the Mad Hatter hat.. Perfect fondant work done by my talented roommate and baking partner Jadrianna.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicChpSBtJ1kNtOM4rcWUOqIFyx3xOpFv5lDfyRP341mBOhX9KHvKg1KuiNIPI-YmQnwUh6Yx2oqbnG5uaA4keAUVT3xKRVc_APmEKj1yLE3qxUDZJMze98HpBkmsU1fthxW_Ik/s1600/240488_1989867316366_1533844119_32225318_8251028_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicChpSBtJ1kNtOM4rcWUOqIFyx3xOpFv5lDfyRP341mBOhX9KHvKg1KuiNIPI-YmQnwUh6Yx2oqbnG5uaA4keAUVT3xKRVc_APmEKj1yLE3qxUDZJMze98HpBkmsU1fthxW_Ik/s640/240488_1989867316366_1533844119_32225318_8251028_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Magic mushrooms, mad hatter hats, and lovely little flowers sit atop cayenne spiced chocolate cupcakes with orange cream cheese icing.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLnJUz_unRlzXB5lAwIfAgQADHBZsakAY64J3cJAJLQm-LWcScbgsjtEiFzFg1ivo7ioQlVTQJnmWcoS4ORFMbJ4IF3fVS5Nhkn6v5JqqYae7tkCrQK6qr7QI-nH0KJ6tQW3v/s1600/230025_10150181950789749_685199748_6697376_4716962_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLnJUz_unRlzXB5lAwIfAgQADHBZsakAY64J3cJAJLQm-LWcScbgsjtEiFzFg1ivo7ioQlVTQJnmWcoS4ORFMbJ4IF3fVS5Nhkn6v5JqqYae7tkCrQK6qr7QI-nH0KJ6tQW3v/s640/230025_10150181950789749_685199748_6697376_4716962_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Queen of hearts. Blondies with white chocolate ganache and brownies with chocolate ganache.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpIwpSAZozX_QGPvgZTHqukUuOvdjORQcNTq63WLU__MchKyDrRvmS1DB0uOsp9HDGUnBdkiiMNxdLcyifQZX0ph6qLFcI4Qg2in1vUS54vkeu5wlhc4mR0hFZ822oSkTXNEp/s1600/241492_1989870196438_1533844119_32225327_1777817_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpIwpSAZozX_QGPvgZTHqukUuOvdjORQcNTq63WLU__MchKyDrRvmS1DB0uOsp9HDGUnBdkiiMNxdLcyifQZX0ph6qLFcI4Qg2in1vUS54vkeu5wlhc4mR0hFZ822oSkTXNEp/s640/241492_1989870196438_1533844119_32225327_1777817_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Garden of cinnamon nutmeg spiced linzer cookie flowers kissed with confectioner's sugar. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJhCSUx533CvjSOVJnq6YbNXesNbTioSvP4u37EVxsfcooT9ICQbVdlEG-Q8Ih3BO1q4mLpgnbcS8RCWOrtqSfM4oB3j6fQa9YU4gM9XexbiJt3WLF48rOfsL037ujbJYdH9I/s1600/228200_10150181950869749_685199748_6697380_6249965_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJhCSUx533CvjSOVJnq6YbNXesNbTioSvP4u37EVxsfcooT9ICQbVdlEG-Q8Ih3BO1q4mLpgnbcS8RCWOrtqSfM4oB3j6fQa9YU4gM9XexbiJt3WLF48rOfsL037ujbJYdH9I/s640/228200_10150181950869749_685199748_6697380_6249965_n.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pate sucree with lime curd and blueberry caterpillars. If only we could have fit a hookah somewhere... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHUMizQwHs54giHqcXlzjRFLxwXf8TeCnGUpMdYR5fU5dgihklL33KPUlQWg64AvRFT5qhCc0pu2NLsmEb2s_hBIWg_Z0qU2LQM6ProrFh-YIEHkTXNfz7Tdn2heryD0V61vc/s1600/225876_10150181951004749_685199748_6697385_2493671_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHUMizQwHs54giHqcXlzjRFLxwXf8TeCnGUpMdYR5fU5dgihklL33KPUlQWg64AvRFT5qhCc0pu2NLsmEb2s_hBIWg_Z0qU2LQM6ProrFh-YIEHkTXNfz7Tdn2heryD0V61vc/s640/225876_10150181951004749_685199748_6697385_2493671_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Eat me! Drink me! Mini eclairs with chambord whipped cream filling and white chocolate coating. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprNVzJYUGtS10llZ6CeLui9HhpO6hyphenhyphenXbIex7RJt0_PelrMS98scfCEBrb4F9tobdGCqwqx1KQUgU1-jYZdcvZtzsej8jOs5-jEm76KgM9u_SHGxRoil_XPrnDuGJ7zYjV92lz/s1600/225383_10150181950709749_685199748_6697373_5974202_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprNVzJYUGtS10llZ6CeLui9HhpO6hyphenhyphenXbIex7RJt0_PelrMS98scfCEBrb4F9tobdGCqwqx1KQUgU1-jYZdcvZtzsej8jOs5-jEm76KgM9u_SHGxRoil_XPrnDuGJ7zYjV92lz/s640/225383_10150181950709749_685199748_6697373_5974202_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Trippy petite fours. Apricot jam filling between sweet spongy frangipane and almond paste.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSKYE13NxHsxw-yqilhYk9Mf1kMQ1dx6xKJRjR-ajEEJsCko9Vo7eYGwhzbV5ymFuaZKATd6urp4rUfJUnkR6DE-qSwExwAxDaK6VZKJynHTGskWlR6PvHlCyNZbbGQXPx_sH/s1600/218366_1989875756577_1533844119_32225343_7934939_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSKYE13NxHsxw-yqilhYk9Mf1kMQ1dx6xKJRjR-ajEEJsCko9Vo7eYGwhzbV5ymFuaZKATd6urp4rUfJUnkR6DE-qSwExwAxDaK6VZKJynHTGskWlR6PvHlCyNZbbGQXPx_sH/s640/218366_1989875756577_1533844119_32225343_7934939_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> French macaroons made into the white rabbit.. filled with guava buttercream... sweet and scrumptious. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTxJOHIqTKMqGivFyXdXLqbZPWXgKP6cU4uyrs4BSJvPQw2cQsFDWfT2APDuv3hWT3s-ujZ6uiGk0V6Ul_2DF2qfGeNUJTiiDePP26ZMszob2cTBlSUK3aN9XQBt4AN-y3fVu/s1600/219106_1989873036509_1533844119_32225335_54585_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTxJOHIqTKMqGivFyXdXLqbZPWXgKP6cU4uyrs4BSJvPQw2cQsFDWfT2APDuv3hWT3s-ujZ6uiGk0V6Ul_2DF2qfGeNUJTiiDePP26ZMszob2cTBlSUK3aN9XQBt4AN-y3fVu/s640/219106_1989873036509_1533844119_32225335_54585_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Lemon madeleines so tasty they can make you purr like a walrus.......... what?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmjQq3eYXxEPT6E9JQ3OeoEpHCkhHKXFSQKqbk5m3XtfJY_4xdQ5Y5GWyxUeXxIYmh5-6Z3v459eqwsgv1zkteKoEAKmcJBHoxLX_38mkfwwU03obxYSmVOVWeY8l9XPANrgw/s1600/227763_10150181950934749_685199748_6697383_4697810_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmjQq3eYXxEPT6E9JQ3OeoEpHCkhHKXFSQKqbk5m3XtfJY_4xdQ5Y5GWyxUeXxIYmh5-6Z3v459eqwsgv1zkteKoEAKmcJBHoxLX_38mkfwwU03obxYSmVOVWeY8l9XPANrgw/s640/227763_10150181950934749_685199748_6697383_4697810_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final shot of the table. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Currently I am in a bread and <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/word-of-mouth/word-of-mouth-viennoiserie-128212">viennoiserie</a> class. Just last week, I took home 7 baguettes. Help! I cannot eat all this bread. Today we made whole wheat pitas, pizza in a brick oven, and focaccia bread. If you like bread, please let me know and we can work something out. We can even trade for it... but you better have something good to bring to the table... like rollerskates.... or <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lynjoy.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/pocky_wallpaper_by_pocky_love_club.jpg&imgrefurl=http://lynjoy.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/rocky-and-pocky/&usg=__7oufl2-an3hM5fRQN0wwsYM8Ouo=&h=768&w=1024&sz=173&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=zvwcJ203Egis5M:&tbnh=129&tbnw=156&ei=ABnbTaXNMcS1tweHnb2qDw&prev=/search%3Fq%3DPocky%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dcom.yahoo:en-US:official%26biw%3D1192%26bih%3D606%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=117&vpy=119&dur=1655&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=152&ty=105&sqi=2&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0">Pocky</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next 6 weeks are more relaxed and I can breathe again. I have an interview next week for a better job (wish me luck) and<a href="http://electricdaisycarnival.com/"> Electric Daisy Carnival</a> this weekend. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-31354417974784942322011-04-26T22:21:00.000-04:002011-06-09T21:31:30.264-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Living with wanderlust.</span><br />
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Most days I have my head in the clouds about traveling. It's getting even worse.<br />
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Spending my weekend in the ocean helped. Vilano Beach sometimes makes me feel like I'm not in the country, with the orange crunchy shell floor and aquamarine seas. I like to leave the shells in my hair so I can be a secret mermaid in Orlando. By Monday night, I cave and shower.<br />
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I should be paying attention in classes.. and I am, somewhat, well, I am making A's atleast. But all I can think about is finding a hollow island cave and enjoying foreign cuisine that's so spicy I have to slam my glass of water (or beer) which in turn only covers my sunburnt lips with hot sauce extending the pain. ...You know what I'm talking about. I have perpetual wanderlust, I'm not sorry. But it is important to live each day as it comes. Today we made fruit tarts with pate sucree crust and lemon curd filling. I would make it for a spring/summer dinner party. Which makes me want to throw a dinner party next time I'm in St. Augustine..... hmmm.... stay tuned on that one.<br />
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Moving along, here are my little fruit tarts. Pate sucree, or sugar cookie crust, lemon curd filling, fresh fruit with a simple syrup glaze... too good looking to eat! But I picked one apart when I got home. Shocker.<br />
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Here is a rough batch of my darling cream puff swans. Usually they're dusted with a kiss of confectioner's sugar. I gave all mine away, they don't travel well.<br />
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Mid-size cream puffs. Makes me think of a mid-size sedan.. ew. These are delicious. Covered in chocolate ganache and filled with vanilla bean pastry cream.<br />
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Be careful if you make pastry cream at home.... you might want to pipe it right into your mouth instead of filling the cream puff. Don't confuse these cream puffs with profiteroles, they're filled with ice cream and are equally thrilling. Now you won't confuse them. I've got your back.<br />
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Ooo Creme brulee'... so many people like creme brulee'. They think it's decadent. I like it because it allows me to play with fire. Yes, I will use the largest blowtorch you have. These tasted like vanilla custard candy crack. Don't you love it when white girls refer to crack?<br />
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More creme de la creme... up close and personal.<br />
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Cheesecake. This one was especially exciting. I subbed 2/3 of the cream cheese with marscapone. You Italians and foodies know what's up. I was drooling and I can't eat dairy.... but I'd get sick for this one. Orange zest, chocolate ganache swirl, and oreo cookie crust. Heavy as a pillowsack of bricks. That's New York style.<br />
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Lastly, a dessert that makes its own sauce. If you guessed flan.. Wrong. It's creme caramel. Orange creamsicle creme caramel. It really tasted like the popsicle. Getting so classy in the kitchen with white plastic plates. <br />
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Only 2 more weeks left in my basic pastry and baking class. We're working in groups of 4 to produce a sweets table full of petite fours. Alice in Wonderland is the theme for our group. Trying to sway more toward the creepy/weird Alice Through the Looking Glass, not new fun and cartoonish. I want to get some eclair caterpillars in the there and freakish acid flowers.<br />
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Alice in her Wonderland and myself consumed by wanderlust.... Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-35964243545266074022011-04-17T21:06:00.000-04:002011-06-09T21:31:30.265-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Spring cleaning and what not...</span><br />
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</div>Spring in Orlando is humid enough to be summer, and thus far I haven't done too much cleaning. Cleaning doesn't have to be throwing away junk or using so much bleach on your kitchen floor that your eyes burn and drip with tears uncontrollably...It can be more of an inner cleaning, a mental renewal, and a time to focus on goals. I have never understood New Year's resolutions- do you know how hard it is to drag yourself to the gym or not have an extra generous portion of homemade coconut chocolate ice cream when everyone is covered in layers and generally miserable? Not happening.<br />
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With that said, I'm a big fan of starting good habits one at a time, and being a (future) pastry chef, I don't have any choice but to work out 5-6 times a week hard. I'm spring cleaning my attitude. I just got a job, typical food and bev in a high traffic area near the convention center. Am I psyched about telling our guests all about our enticing "starters" or "perfectly cool" cocktails? No. Do I like money? Yes. Do I want to own a bakery in the tropics soon? Yes. So Taylor, get to work. There was once a time to be lazy and daydream on the beach and surf twice a day. That time is over... for awhile. <br />
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This past week was all about quick breads. I was especially thrilled to bake biscotti, which was a regular treat my beautiful grandmother used to make for the family. We dabbled in muffins, banana bread, pie, danish butter cookies, and biscuits.<br />
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Day 1: Danish butter cookies with fruit filling. I didn't actually take this picture until I got home, and they might have been tossed around in the car a bit. Orlando traffic. Fail. However, quite scrumptious.<br />
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Day 2: Biscotti means to bake twice. First you bake the dough in a log, then slice it and bake it again. Vanilla almond with orange essence, drizzled in chocolate.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 3: Biscuits.... I will never buy biscuits again. This was not only extremely easy, but the technique created biscuits that were tender and flaky and HUGE. These are roasted garlic and cheddar biscuits. Next time I'd probably do sage and cracked pepper biscuits, maybe with a sharper cheese.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 4: Apple pie. This was another common treat my grandmother made for every holiday. She taught me the lattice crust back in the day, what kind of apples to use, and always used fresh fruit. They gave us canned apples (Gag.) I was rusty on my lattice skills but it still came out nice. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg85PvhhqW38VECrwTLZ5RrEuoEcUujsPta9dntsJp7yiL8TkEtIePwRQRqC4iD28SuuspLiXeHZTe3DD-CgnVPPBREqH07ZjjlllnDJ5sqDMrHoa1UNWeAhUeBJPbRrQwUpv6/s1600/IMG_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg85PvhhqW38VECrwTLZ5RrEuoEcUujsPta9dntsJp7yiL8TkEtIePwRQRqC4iD28SuuspLiXeHZTe3DD-CgnVPPBREqH07ZjjlllnDJ5sqDMrHoa1UNWeAhUeBJPbRrQwUpv6/s640/IMG_0643.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right out of the oven in class</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvx3ZJNPfiR9GbPdKgZ791FhNNB4A7LHz7NWg3Iw6YyttIZoppakVFyG_29aeXzuh1f3iJwHeZ8UOX3gIAC0GrTRJ8BQELpeBWWQX8e6HHSNRSJCPFkkcVzle39vW8vgK88Vws/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvx3ZJNPfiR9GbPdKgZ791FhNNB4A7LHz7NWg3Iw6YyttIZoppakVFyG_29aeXzuh1f3iJwHeZ8UOX3gIAC0GrTRJ8BQELpeBWWQX8e6HHSNRSJCPFkkcVzle39vW8vgK88Vws/s640/IMG_0648.JPG" width="550" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 5: Blueberry mountains, or muffins, and banana bread. I've made better blueberry muffins, and I wasn't crazy about this recipe. I like to use a lot of fruit in my muffins and less sugar. The banana bread was so-so. Banana bread is kind of my thing. Banana mango, banana chocolate chip, sometimes with coconut, sometimes blueberries... Anyhow... this one I topped with streusel and sanding sugar. It was filled with miniature chocolate chips. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjErjF4pgvNUdbSqv4KoIQLQprsywsl2WTT-ROg_QBXkjjHxEUK4tVsq-xB-buxR7WtaXnODYg4IvZswzop4q0EP9zUnU5TtjAErLpgFRiT8UwaKTfrapNBx2OUQtR1Z9l3biu/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjErjF4pgvNUdbSqv4KoIQLQprsywsl2WTT-ROg_QBXkjjHxEUK4tVsq-xB-buxR7WtaXnODYg4IvZswzop4q0EP9zUnU5TtjAErLpgFRiT8UwaKTfrapNBx2OUQtR1Z9l3biu/s640/IMG_0649.JPG" width="510" /></a></div><br />
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Next week is all about pate a choux, pronounced pot-ah-shoo..... which means eclairs and cream puffs! Maybe even a cream puff swan. When I was in grade school, I used to walk to a little French pastry shop called Denoel on Charlotte Street in St. Augustine and buy one cream puff swan. With cream on my nose and confectioner's sugar on my plaid uniform skirt, I'd wait on the corner for my mom to pick me up. Denoel is still in the same place, and I happen to be going home for Easter weekend, maybe this time with a swan that I crafted. Let's be honest, if said swan is made, I'll be walking to my car with cream on my nose and sugar on my chef's coat. Nothing has changed.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-66721146096160083572011-04-12T22:33:00.000-04:002011-06-09T21:31:30.265-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Bake wild is about to go crazy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For those of you who don't know, I picked up about 2 weeks ago and moved from St. Augustine Beach to Orlando, FL. And for those of you who do know, I am starting to like it here, thanks for asking. To get a girl like myself to leave the beach and all that is dear to her, there must be a motive. Now that I got that whole Bachelor's degree thing out of the way, I am free to pursue my official diplome of patisserie and baking at Le Cordon Bleu. I have been there a week now, everyday dressed in my crisp white chef's coat, awkward checkerprint drawstring pants, and black steel toe shoes... Not my best look, but I think I can manage for the rest of the year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bake Wild is about to take a detour until I graduate.. with occasional recipes but mostly a weekly photojournal of the things I have made and my progress in becoming a pastry chef. The most fulfilling reinvention of oneself is changing paths to truly live your dreams. Mine is to travel the world and make pastries of glitter and diamonds..... anyway. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last week was all about the petit fours... or "small oven" in French which means small cookies. I have bags and bags of treats.... if you want some, email me your address and I'll gladly send them your way. This week is all about quick breads, biscuits, and pies. Stay tuned..........</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Day 1: Miniature semisweet chocolate chip cookies</span></span>- honestly the most perfect chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. Soft and chewy on the inside with a bit of crispness on the edges.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uQ8B_hhgrDJevD47VgoyaZs4cLbzJ4b4jShtX0zlFWJQMvXfJmsXWXHhmoaUA01KUcAVhs8jx0tqWFUpI3zJfif-rFXk8Wj1vWlgdhiIKDWiJYzEHlbO7zGVlkigLRgp2259/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uQ8B_hhgrDJevD47VgoyaZs4cLbzJ4b4jShtX0zlFWJQMvXfJmsXWXHhmoaUA01KUcAVhs8jx0tqWFUpI3zJfif-rFXk8Wj1vWlgdhiIKDWiJYzEHlbO7zGVlkigLRgp2259/s640/IMG_0618.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Day 2: Double chocolate brownies with ganache frosting (no picture), The best peanut butter cookies I have ever made.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 3&4: Vanilla and chocolate checkerboard sugar cookies. Time intensive but visually pleasing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LkPv8gcSZxUOyNXmqkUse3mX67Dcp6bkMNnTaBM5z0tRCUQQqGulIla6oFV5XKSF2DUbeZ-Bp_DK1-oIc_28t6HoSgwTQZr54y0-VUOLyotyjo2B0yMED0Xh6fTmx67kBl-M/s1600/IMG_0620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LkPv8gcSZxUOyNXmqkUse3mX67Dcp6bkMNnTaBM5z0tRCUQQqGulIla6oFV5XKSF2DUbeZ-Bp_DK1-oIc_28t6HoSgwTQZr54y0-VUOLyotyjo2B0yMED0Xh6fTmx67kBl-M/s640/IMG_0620.JPG" width="524" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 5: French macaroons with raspberry jam filling. Looks like it took a lot of work, but the easiest of the week. A bit sweet for my taste. When we have some breathing room with flavors, I'm thinking a cocoa macaroon with creamed peanut frosting... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rG-4MjZjbmKTXVCDwHGoKT1DCB3gqeRvgpHSzyr3G7S9za5I2GFsewKbwUka4qK_zWEUqgkga23TAtJuDEUpz9qChdHDMlRLICQ9gy5-sQWgXQIDwPYrVb-LBifur6ptouNe/s1600/IMG_0622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rG-4MjZjbmKTXVCDwHGoKT1DCB3gqeRvgpHSzyr3G7S9za5I2GFsewKbwUka4qK_zWEUqgkga23TAtJuDEUpz9qChdHDMlRLICQ9gy5-sQWgXQIDwPYrVb-LBifur6ptouNe/s640/IMG_0622.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check back this Sunday for biscotti, pies, biscuits, and more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One thing I forgot to mention as an obvious upside of moving to Orlando.... MUSIC. In the next two months, I'm looking at<a href="http://www.myspace.com/canseidesersexy"> CSS</a>, <a href="http://gottadancedirty.com/2011/02/01/rusko-doorly-announce-north-american-tour/">Rusko & Doorly</a>, <a href="http://avicii.com/">Avicii</a>, <a href="http://felixcartel.com/">Felix Cartel</a>, and <a href="http://www.electricdaisycarnival.com/">The Electric Daisy Carnival</a>. My roommate happens to love the beats as much as I do. Nothing but heavy bass and baking for the next 9 months.. and I like that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-40528921179730446162011-03-05T16:04:00.000-05:002011-06-09T21:31:30.266-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Lazy Saturday Flourless Chocolate Cake... with a twist.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hry3WlSHX929iiZz1x8OnuRN6Q-ZUwV20EZ24ZGJbapU7adFT7BoKWCQtf8oU1JxUd5J5JRXkp99G-bETUXnnQlWxmRUzP2QchZ39Zag6AT8yRUnMELY-4RuzzL1QPTOiNNZ/s1600/photo%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hry3WlSHX929iiZz1x8OnuRN6Q-ZUwV20EZ24ZGJbapU7adFT7BoKWCQtf8oU1JxUd5J5JRXkp99G-bETUXnnQlWxmRUzP2QchZ39Zag6AT8yRUnMELY-4RuzzL1QPTOiNNZ/s640/photo%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">What a crazy week this has been, from waiting on the answer to a job interview to be an assistant pastry chef at a new upscale dessert bar/lounge in Charleston to getting an unexpected and quite hefty grant to attend Le Cordon Bleu this April. Now my search to find a place to live in Orlando has officially begun, doing some hardcore Craigslist searches. Against my better judgment, I signed up on a roommate finder website. I can only imagine the responses I will receive. Is there a "no creeps" filter? For me, stress leads to one thing- baking. More specifically, baking chocolate things and drinking a glass of wine. I live about a mile from a killer little specialty wine shop. It allows me to give in to my obsession with red wines from Puglia, Italy. It let me pair that wine with a flourless chocolate cake today. As for my stress.....what stress? More cake? Yes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The twist in this flourless cake is garbanzo beans. Yes, chick peas, garbanzos, those little things that get ground up to put in hummus. You may be familiar with the idea of beans in baking, it's a newer trend, mostly seen in black bean brownies or chickpeas in blondies. I'm my own worst critic when it comes to my baking and I am convinced- This. Is. Amazing. You would never know this contains chickpeas. It is so moist and light with a hint of dark fudgy texture. It is my dream cake. If you don't believe me, make it yourself, and then bring it over to my house and share it. I'd share mine with you. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">You will need:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">19oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 bag 60% cacao dark chocolate or darker, I used Ghiradelli</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup raw sugar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 eggs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9 inch round pan. Use dark cocoa to flour the pan rather than white flour, if you have it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate chips until smooth. Set aside. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a food processor, blend the garbanzo beans with the eggs until smooth. Add in the baking powder, sugar, and vanilla. Blend again until completely combined. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pour batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. When done baking, let the cake sit in it's pan for 10 minutes before flipping it onto a serving platter. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This cake is so decadent it can be served as is, or you can dust powdered sugar on top and garnish with fresh blueberries like I did. Any delicate berry would work on this dessert. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stay tuned for a recipe for miniature apple-fig turnovers...........</span> </span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-71335965669607686462011-02-22T13:46:00.000-05:002011-06-09T21:32:23.208-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Ice coffee & the fastest cinnamon buns ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's finally 80 degrees outside and all I want in the morning is the perfect, icy cold glass of coffee. I say a glass because once you make the transition to ice coffee, it cannot be hidden in a mug. It must be admired in the most fanciful glass you own. You've been waiting all winter to break it out, just like me. The trick is to make coffee the night before you need it, sweeten it while it's hot, then allow it to cool completely before putting it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, simply add or don't add whatever you like. A nice breakfast accompaniment would have been my cinnamon buns, but they never last long enough to eat the day after. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvMJwVEkp_XLro7QlivYoRlAbZY-pOkcswdcYNP38nT3DVg_CAhjGHK2vj2eFA3NAOtAEkBA4wpSiT1xMXuQIZXkUObK1pmfyP0KeqX00ukydru8EErjwWBb9bMulFkRQBwTu/s1600/IMG_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvMJwVEkp_XLro7QlivYoRlAbZY-pOkcswdcYNP38nT3DVg_CAhjGHK2vj2eFA3NAOtAEkBA4wpSiT1xMXuQIZXkUObK1pmfyP0KeqX00ukydru8EErjwWBb9bMulFkRQBwTu/s640/IMG_0228.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dough for these, considering it's a faster version, contains no yeast. If you're afraid of yeast, this recipe is for you. The rolls taste a bit denser like biscuits, but as still savory with gooey cinnamon and you'll be so busy eating them you probably won't notice. The recipe is not entirely mine, except I made it into a vegan version, i.e., using soymilk for milk and Earth Balance wherever it calls for butter. Also, I did not follow any specific recipe, it was more of a fast kitchen experiment with scrumptious results. If you want to try your hand at one of the greatest breakfast sweets, try this <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/glazed-cinnamon-biscuits/Detail.aspx">recipe</a>. If you're feeling even more daring, try this <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/cinnamon-swirl-buns-so-much-news/">recipe</a>. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMF7FwhdhkwfDJbUnztK4PIO5p2lOz7XqjRTxCl6YJkSzQlhNM0Djr6USUHZ0heXY8EmV6OKJAsgCajKBDQKfGhfWD6JNQkF9wdxXFUo9ZakR-dWbratDtLAa3I6BFlZhVaIc/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMF7FwhdhkwfDJbUnztK4PIO5p2lOz7XqjRTxCl6YJkSzQlhNM0Djr6USUHZ0heXY8EmV6OKJAsgCajKBDQKfGhfWD6JNQkF9wdxXFUo9ZakR-dWbratDtLAa3I6BFlZhVaIc/s640/IMG_0232.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you need some musical inspiration, play Koop Island Blues and open your windows. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qTTGX27fsA4" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe> </span></span><br />
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</span></span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-39867787064330425922011-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:002011-06-09T21:31:50.644-04:00<span style="font-size: large;">Tomato. Tofu. Goat Cheese. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of my favorite things to do is to look in the fridge and work with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Being that I have mildly different tastes than your average mid-20s lady, my fridge is often stocked with different kinds of tofu, in this case veggie tofu, basil, goat cheese (which the grocery store <i>finally</i> has their own brand so my bank account is relieved of pricey cheese burdens) and naturally I have several different kinds of flour being that I bake more than I can eat. And I can eat a lot. Just ask anyone who was around me if I went to Andolini's Pizza in Charleston. A glass of any meritage, a sunny Thursday afternoon in my courtyard and a 20 inch pizza. I enjoyed every last bite, but I digress...</span> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQOB5AhA-ZaMA4BvkFXi5JQbxHg9ShtQ63EAMxdhub1XXaa0K-9QA_GNcONi6bGWrUohVWgu5vR8jNkdrrccuxS5lfXHh94EJ93yyhc8-Z2jMS-8bxxlPpJ-mBxro_XUwsPlF/s1600/pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQOB5AhA-ZaMA4BvkFXi5JQbxHg9ShtQ63EAMxdhub1XXaa0K-9QA_GNcONi6bGWrUohVWgu5vR8jNkdrrccuxS5lfXHh94EJ93yyhc8-Z2jMS-8bxxlPpJ-mBxro_XUwsPlF/s640/pizza.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I had not eaten all day as most of the morning was spent on the couch watching Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe, sipping creamy peppermint coffee and have my dog awkwardly step all over me and block the television a couple hundred times. A relaxing rainy day. A day to experiment with white whole wheat flour and buckwheat flour I had yet to explore. A thin crust pizza I desired was within reach. This recipe is much faster and more successful if you have as many kitchen appliances as I happen to have, I happen to be both fortunate and always actively seeking random tools. Break out your pizza stone, throw it in the oven, and set it to 450F while you make the crust.<br />
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Topping you will need:<br />
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red chili oil, or olive oil sauteed with red pepper flakes<br />
really garlicky tomato sauce, homemade or store bought<br />
1 thinly sliced roma tomato<br />
1 small block firm veggie tofu, drained for 20 minutes and diced into small cubes<br />
goat cheese<br />
fresh basil leaves<br />
<br />
<br />
For the crust... break out your KitchenAid with dough attachment..<br />
<br />
In your mixing bowl..<br />
<br />
1 cup white whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup buckwheat flour<br />
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast<br />
1/2 cup lukewarm water plus a couple tablespoons<br />
1 tablespoon oil (I used safflower, but you can use anything from olive to coconut)<br />
<br />
Mix on low-medium until the dough comes together, adding bits of water as necessary. You want a smooth and pliable dough without it being too dry or too wet. We're not baking bread here, keep it simple. When ready, dust your counter with buckwheat flour and roll your dough out as thin as you'd like it or as big as you can for your pizza stone or pan. The crust is not a doughy, soft crust but rather a wheaty crisp you'll feel okay about devouring most of it if you don't have a friend to share it with immediately.<br />
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Pull your pizza stone out of the oven, sprinkle it with bread crumbs and more buckwheat flour then throw the crust on it while you gather your toppings. Brush the crust with red chili oil, lightly covering it all the way to the edges. This oil is <i>spicy</i> so use with discretion if you're a weakling. I relish in the burning of the chili oil and the creaminess of the goat cheese coming together on one crust. Spoon the tomato sauce over the crust, then the tomatoes, tofu cubes, and crumbled chunks of goat cheese. Roll up the basil leaves and slice them thin before scattering them across the best pizza you've ever made in 30 minutes. Scatter sea salt and grind some peppercorns to top it off, then place the stone back in the oven for 15 minutes, but keep an eye on it. When it seems almost done, turn up the heat to broil for 2 minutes. And that's it. Let it cool if you can keep your hands off it.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-91510923466205649652010-10-22T15:22:00.000-04:002010-10-22T15:22:21.520-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMqc64W11NICp-TVnf8yimAmhBYqBxOixXRvop4J2Hg4KR_BaeMyeFKqiViuSkFzT0bZSRlJZq_2b8ZxAJJPAtxgL44MKwHqq2uti_0uyvA2vKZOodMNbpaQRItmVI8heg3k0/s1600/photo(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMqc64W11NICp-TVnf8yimAmhBYqBxOixXRvop4J2Hg4KR_BaeMyeFKqiViuSkFzT0bZSRlJZq_2b8ZxAJJPAtxgL44MKwHqq2uti_0uyvA2vKZOodMNbpaQRItmVI8heg3k0/s1600/photo(5).jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<b><a href="" name="27">"Karma Repair Kit: Items 1-4"</a></b><br />
1. Get enough food to eat,<br />
and eat it. <br />
<br />
2. Find a place to sleep where it is quiet,<br />
and sleep there. <br />
<br />
3. Reduce intellectual activity and emotional noise<br />
until you arrive at the silence of yourself,<br />
and listen to it. <br />
<br />
4. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
- Richard Brautigan, 1967<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Not a day passes when I don't have a new idea about things I want/need to accomplish in this lifetime. I intend to start... one of these days. Without the forced deadlines of college, it is increasingly difficult to stay motivated. Not to mention I live on the beach, where the weather is perfect for daydreaming and playing outside... all day. And when night comes, I do on occasion bartend at a country/honky tonk bar.... how ironic.. probably the last place in the world you'd find me. But it <i>is</i> fun.<br />
<br />
And not that I need it, but no one ever warned me how easy it would be to get off track after school is over. Almost 6 months out now. If you had asked me where I'd be after college a couple years ago and blah blah blah etc. what everyone says. I am happy. I'm working it out. I'm Taylor Chloe Berk.<br />
<br />
Still baking insanely good for you treats, hosting weekly dinner parties, planning trips, hanging with Jimbo America, writing, reading, surfing, smiling. My brother has commissioned me to grocery shop for him and cook weekly meals, healthy of course. Could this start a new business? I am still waiting for my phone call from the Food Network begging me to star in my own show and be sent to exotic locations to commentate. Until that day comes.... which should be around next year or so..... I will continue on. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSc9PQd1I9WVdqOhyNNDSrDIW5yaHqiYh-Q_vXZWVhTnY1LYVuPSFxCJIBE0eWlYMvyd7Mwm4F_KCTXMTshlAhyphenhyphenw-WP67rd_-MwwesHNtaqLmQZYpSzUFTUdtMMF2uD5ixu0n/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSc9PQd1I9WVdqOhyNNDSrDIW5yaHqiYh-Q_vXZWVhTnY1LYVuPSFxCJIBE0eWlYMvyd7Mwm4F_KCTXMTshlAhyphenhyphenw-WP67rd_-MwwesHNtaqLmQZYpSzUFTUdtMMF2uD5ixu0n/s320/photo.jpg" width="238" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__ynIRKFXyJ7LtX50tmC-RT8NusR7DAiWWZF2j9A5FyBDHXe1IlKxLeO99JFtXNg1mYN8pX9Wrg1EXe-rM1s2hcXwS1lVXEc0GCEoiVXQiDiV8JTgfnlK0PQuxSuBaKhRb1Jc/s1600/photo(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__ynIRKFXyJ7LtX50tmC-RT8NusR7DAiWWZF2j9A5FyBDHXe1IlKxLeO99JFtXNg1mYN8pX9Wrg1EXe-rM1s2hcXwS1lVXEc0GCEoiVXQiDiV8JTgfnlK0PQuxSuBaKhRb1Jc/s320/photo(2).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3ACugTF24NBwaHaVVulfz_vfu1LTgOK6NRp70qQuSM_0dKEfmcivJVegANMMVmhZbXLcuyYH2oe6uDLasDysDdex6PDAJLulueqkkK_c2D3T_SHyejeTVKG9sSciVGIsiZ0w/s1600/photo(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3ACugTF24NBwaHaVVulfz_vfu1LTgOK6NRp70qQuSM_0dKEfmcivJVegANMMVmhZbXLcuyYH2oe6uDLasDysDdex6PDAJLulueqkkK_c2D3T_SHyejeTVKG9sSciVGIsiZ0w/s640/photo(3).jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the spirit of year-round island warmth, I give you a snapper ceviche recipe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzz5w9jvB4nxnmtWVArcZzGzypqikAbphSCV-U60S044-x3w8hWeYWuOqqTgTcckG372fydeNqBprsA509Jnf5uUdzYpSIqlWmVVWPxRDX3yTcJRzwHAZS-ZSV0A0nbXYyznH/s1600/photo(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzz5w9jvB4nxnmtWVArcZzGzypqikAbphSCV-U60S044-x3w8hWeYWuOqqTgTcckG372fydeNqBprsA509Jnf5uUdzYpSIqlWmVVWPxRDX3yTcJRzwHAZS-ZSV0A0nbXYyznH/s1600/photo(4).jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What you need: </div><div id="ingredients"> <ul><li>8 ounces snapper fillet large dice</li>
<li>8 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice</li>
<li>1/4 cup mango juice</li>
<li>2 roma tomatoes</li>
<li>1 small red onion small dice</li>
<li>2 to 3 medium serrano chiles, diced (remove seeds if you want it milder)</li>
<li>handful of chopped cilantro</li>
</ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What to do:</div><ol><li class="d1">Place fish in a nonreactive mixing bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice until it is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours (the fish should be opaque in color and firm to the touch). </li>
<li class="d2">About 30 minutes before the fish is ready, combine remaining 6 tablespoons lime juice with mango juice, tomatoes, onion, chiles, and cilantro in a nonreactive mixing bowl; set aside to marinate. </li>
<li class="d3">When the fish is ready, add tomato-onion mixture and toss to combine. To serve, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and transfer ceviche to chilled serving dishes. Add homemade guacamole on the side to balance out the heat in the serrano peppers. </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div> Adapted and improved from a recipe on CHOW.com.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-20652184036859606692010-09-02T12:11:00.000-04:002010-09-02T12:11:42.166-04:00I have successfully ignored my cooking blog all summer. It is September 2 and I have way too many new recipes that need to be on here. It has been a summer of working, surfing, cooking, and music. Is there any other way to spend your summer? I complain sometimes, but it could be worse than living on an island. Not to mention an island that has had more than a couple days of waves and sunshine. Before I get right down to it, I'd you to play this track while you browse my summer recipe photos:<br />
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<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BFeKZDT38ww?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BFeKZDT38ww?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
Miami Horror has been killing it lately, a smooth backbeat with a disco groove. Its mellow bassline is enough to relax and daydream about places you might want to be.<br />
<br />
So now that you've got your appropriate baking track,we can begin:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm0Hlv_ML3mfrq4UvglugSuBw1rrGvnVwM4HSIhXxkP-FsktH-EWDBTIt6a3tNYIJpgQqts6UUZbrqQSe98R5HczTaJRePJH91nUkPmo9v9bjYrPnVwrPKqZCNbmCUXKlRCCq/s1600/mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKiZc_pluftk3E55RMSBC_xPRq2wl_GNEc9eJ-PY4BZPIgCvDdVfmwPB78ruHVi1vvdmQ69-eWg57LT44sEDmoT3E-Fe-MSOhyphenhyphenWfCOVMR9jf9Dp4ZUAjX7DKk-njzYw7zPSoy/s1600/photo(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKiZc_pluftk3E55RMSBC_xPRq2wl_GNEc9eJ-PY4BZPIgCvDdVfmwPB78ruHVi1vvdmQ69-eWg57LT44sEDmoT3E-Fe-MSOhyphenhyphenWfCOVMR9jf9Dp4ZUAjX7DKk-njzYw7zPSoy/s400/photo(6).jpg" width="296" /></a><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm0Hlv_ML3mfrq4UvglugSuBw1rrGvnVwM4HSIhXxkP-FsktH-EWDBTIt6a3tNYIJpgQqts6UUZbrqQSe98R5HczTaJRePJH91nUkPmo9v9bjYrPnVwrPKqZCNbmCUXKlRCCq/s400/mango.jpg" width="300" /></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Here is a list of all the delicious treats on this page:<br />
1. French silk pie<br />
2. Fresh mango tart with orange mango curd<br />
3. Mexicali pizza<br />
4. Sweet & savory plantains<br />
5. Coconut apricot bread<br />
6. Chocolate chip espresso almond ice cream cake (Vegan!)<br />
7. Copious amounts of sushi... cannot get enough.<br />
8. Triple chocolate butterfinger ice cream cake<br />
9. Lemon cream pie<br />
10. Another shot of the coconut apricot bread...<br />
11. Vegan pancakes with mango, cinnamon coconut milk & honey<br />
12. German chocolate cake<br />
13. Vegan burrito bowl with fresh baked chili tortilla chips<br />
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There is more, and there will be more posts to come. I don't want to overwhelm you. We haven't seen each other all summer, and it's always fun to leave a little mystery. Check back soon for recipes, music, and much more.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-22335832429239953492010-06-07T11:14:00.000-04:002011-06-09T21:32:12.528-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4gYzuQOqTbgPRB8hRVa5bw1cwYAvCA9bzs3hj3f498DwG_KhhzrP4eFiJ-5G3CBxEo_144DfI5NIxCR5tOkjNxKqzbt5dqEJnTt1mp_Q80Ah1MSoBmoekJobKL88IIfbvhVu/s1600/a5-05196687bec272fa7195107efeeae1ec91a052a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4gYzuQOqTbgPRB8hRVa5bw1cwYAvCA9bzs3hj3f498DwG_KhhzrP4eFiJ-5G3CBxEo_144DfI5NIxCR5tOkjNxKqzbt5dqEJnTt1mp_Q80Ah1MSoBmoekJobKL88IIfbvhVu/s640/a5-05196687bec272fa7195107efeeae1ec91a052a8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It's full-on summer here in Anastasia Island. Surprisingly, it feels completely normal to be living here again. I have my morning run and swim on the beach in front of my house. I walk Jimbo in the morning in my bikini drinking hot chai to wake up. I attempted to go to <a href="http://www.surf-station.com/content/index.php/surf-report/">work</a> today, but surf camp was canceled due to lack of kids for the week. I am convinced to get some kind of work done this week, mainly writing out the stories I've been working on about Jimbo "America" Jenkins travels and experimenting with some new flavor combinations in baking. <br />
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Sometime I can't stand heavy desserts in the sweltering Florida humidity, so I turned to the ultimate summer fruit- peaches.... or nectarines. I know for a fact I baked one of these fruits. No, I was not drunk. When I was buying fruit, there was an entire section labeled "Peaches or Nectarines." I am not kidding. They were ripe, a color between the two, and just fuzzy enough to leave me bewildered. If that's not bad enough, the stickers on these mystery fruits were not labeled with anything but a number. It didn't even say where they came from! I purchased them anyhow, because they were ripe, and with peaches or nectarines you really can't go wrong. However, is it some strange hybrid fruit? But I digress..... I made a peach or nectarine crisp. It has few ingredients and an insane amount of flavor.<br />
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<br />
<b>Peach OR Nectarine Crisp:</b><br />
<br />
Filling: <br />
8 peaches or nectarines, sliced<br />
juice of 1 lemon <br />
3/4 cup evaporated cane juice raw sugar<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp ginger<br />
1 tsp cardamom<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
handful of flour<br />
<br />
Topping:<br />
1 cup rolled oats<br />
1 cups chopped walnuts<br />
1 cup light brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
<br />
Toss the peaches or nectarines with the sugar first, adding in the lemon, the vanilla, and then the spices. Toss with flour your liking, it depends on how juicy you want the filling to be versus thicker like a pie filling. Pour the filling into an 8x8 glass baking dish.<br />
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In a separate bowl, mix the walnuts, oats, and brown sugar. Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add slowly mixing as you pour. This should create a sticky, combined texture. You don't want it to be too dry or too wet. It can be easily corrected if it's too dry, simply add more butter. If too wet, add more oats or sprinkle some flour in there. Get creative... you could even add chopped candied ginger or chopped macadamia nuts. Go wild.<br />
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Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. The top will bubble through the crisp topping a little bit. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve alone or with ice cream. Also good for breakfast....................Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-20009172200391974152010-05-27T16:07:00.000-04:002010-05-27T16:07:10.475-04:00My "to-do" list is out of control. I have skipped items 1-15 to bake double chocolate peanut butter brownies and listen to Hall & Oates. Think "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)".<br />
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<br />
As far as moving out goes, I have been failing. As far as baking goes, I have been very successful. In the past ten days, I have made the following: a rustic apple tart, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, pineapple upside down cake (twice), coconut peanut butter cookies, and the brownies mentioned above.<br />
<br />
<br />
It's bittersweet moving out of my home in Charleston, but the future is so full of options. I am going to be setting up at the St. Augustine farmer's market this summer, pushing my baked goods and possibly a little print out of all my recipes. I'll finally be able to spend some real time on writing and surfing more, along with my side projects... Hopefully planting some watermelons and getting the banana trees back on track.<br />
<br />
There are worse places to be than living on an island for an undetermined amount of time. Love my family. Love that I actually finished college on time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGqeSFqnJwnJm_gN0ixMpbzJKIxUvKX22wyA08B4QkLFzcFM5hwfxwNZdEf5izkOHRxH2cIE5SL7NDlsOB5Xyson_hSFn0PXunXo86KK8dT9K2SkWhJEHrS7SNqg7g7N7zykX/s1600/32535_567003413711_26003848_33447878_4433957_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGqeSFqnJwnJm_gN0ixMpbzJKIxUvKX22wyA08B4QkLFzcFM5hwfxwNZdEf5izkOHRxH2cIE5SL7NDlsOB5Xyson_hSFn0PXunXo86KK8dT9K2SkWhJEHrS7SNqg7g7N7zykX/s320/32535_567003413711_26003848_33447878_4433957_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Don't worry about that Italian white linen dress... just stylin' after graduation.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-66108888480273761732010-04-14T00:03:00.000-04:002010-04-14T00:03:47.945-04:00Lately, I must confess, my baking has been<i> way</i> off. Banana bread not moist enough. Pizza crusts... just... subpar at best. Admittedly, my head has been completely in the clouds, but I like it there. This week I'm gaining some clarity through a bit of a fast/yoga/sunshine fest.. Glad I chose the week where I'm bombarded with work, exams, papers, and projects, but so it goes. Baking failures aside, I did make one thing I am very proud of undertaking. Rhubarb-peach pie with a lattice crust. This is the ultimate Martha Stewart kind of pie. I even used my fancy William Sonoma cakestand to display it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HxhcxkyWuSB-graenDM_N3xh3IjGF-ZShErOF-XRc73VyYPHnH4z7m4ZV9ieStHuKj_y3ikMNoQIprSBmGT0Gcpe3_HD5C4Yxo_upcIgA1kIoIXM6zVXYqVsFhcpPfW36i0U/s1600/DSCF1270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HxhcxkyWuSB-graenDM_N3xh3IjGF-ZShErOF-XRc73VyYPHnH4z7m4ZV9ieStHuKj_y3ikMNoQIprSBmGT0Gcpe3_HD5C4Yxo_upcIgA1kIoIXM6zVXYqVsFhcpPfW36i0U/s400/DSCF1270.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50c0hdSgz0WfuymxGtMO2MOFZtC8iclZzeo_l2d0eY7GwPzxDy8SkDE13huUEuTRTQtY_igIS-qR6gB-DAgbjxJLYYscrrzR-oMoW_o1tfgfRYgIKH3I1zTem3ucCik-u4xqV/s1600/peaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50c0hdSgz0WfuymxGtMO2MOFZtC8iclZzeo_l2d0eY7GwPzxDy8SkDE13huUEuTRTQtY_igIS-qR6gB-DAgbjxJLYYscrrzR-oMoW_o1tfgfRYgIKH3I1zTem3ucCik-u4xqV/s1600/peaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50c0hdSgz0WfuymxGtMO2MOFZtC8iclZzeo_l2d0eY7GwPzxDy8SkDE13huUEuTRTQtY_igIS-qR6gB-DAgbjxJLYYscrrzR-oMoW_o1tfgfRYgIKH3I1zTem3ucCik-u4xqV/s400/peaches.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqRBxohPodUiccghsAjNxY7b2BlqmKa21zLJDMdef6GrZv6Sxyx5lY9CrJyX-cYL5nUEnATDYszUahmh6c23pzW2xGBEZMDwytBr51w2qW_3I3fRul65jSR66pZaSyIiaaSf_/s1600/rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqRBxohPodUiccghsAjNxY7b2BlqmKa21zLJDMdef6GrZv6Sxyx5lY9CrJyX-cYL5nUEnATDYszUahmh6c23pzW2xGBEZMDwytBr51w2qW_3I3fRul65jSR66pZaSyIiaaSf_/s400/rhubarb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Proudly this recipe is my own, making the pate brisee crust, using raw sugar and minimal ingredients to let the tartness of the rhubarb and the juicy sweetness of the peach takeover the pie. <br />
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Rhubarb-Peach Pie<br />
<br />
2 pie crusts (<a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/">this is what I did</a>)<br />
2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped<br />
3 cups fresh peaches sliced<br />
1 cup turbinado sugar<br />
juice of 1/2 lemon<br />
3-ish tbsp flour <br />
cinnamon & nutmeg to taste<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
Earth balance vegan "butter"<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350. Roll out one of your pie crusts into a pie dish and roll the other out onto the counter on a floured surface. You will use these after you make the filling.<br />
<br />
Toss the fruit with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, and spices. I like a good bit of cinnamon and nutmeg in mine, but to each his own. Let it sit while you <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_a_lattice_top_for_a_pie_crust/">make the lattice crust. </a>Feel free to add more flour is necessary because the rhubarb can be a bit watery, especially when it bakes.<br />
<br />
Pour the fruit filling into the crust and top with a lattice pattern. Bake for about an hour.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ0px5epCBrx6PpwFppdT8SXKch6MZFRnG6r8CTuWNbE5k_vOa5B1H8cYV8E1wPWd6UEYIcHdk1AYNoou2xcjZTXva4Ku8hgVZtjpcX0VdwWd4dyaoooSPKIsu_eC4BTgUR0D/s1600/DSCF1267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ0px5epCBrx6PpwFppdT8SXKch6MZFRnG6r8CTuWNbE5k_vOa5B1H8cYV8E1wPWd6UEYIcHdk1AYNoou2xcjZTXva4Ku8hgVZtjpcX0VdwWd4dyaoooSPKIsu_eC4BTgUR0D/s400/DSCF1267.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I would let the pie cool a bit and also let the filling thicken. My pie didn't even last over 24 hours and I bet yours won't either.<br />
<br />
In other news...random websites I found today...<br />
<a href="http://myveryworstdate.com/">My Very Worst Date</a><br />
<a href="http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/">Unnecessary Quotes</a><br />
<a href="http://literally.barelyfitz.com/">Literally, a weblog</a>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-8793126222828133552010-03-30T12:06:00.000-04:002010-03-30T12:06:52.143-04:00RAWR.<br />
<br />
Why do my Tuesdays feel like Mondays? Would it be alright to claim I have a case of the Tuesdays? Had a party at my house on Friday night that ended up with foamy kegs due to tap problems and then the ratio spun out of control until it turned into BroParty 2010. Got to see Rocky Horror and Designer Drugs on Saturday night... Bottomless mimosas on Sunday. This would explain how Monday felt like Sunday, hence Tuesday as Monday. I can feel summer is on its way because all the days are blending together.<br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mc7ND4Qrd3I&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mc7ND4Qrd3I&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-52483482754672965432010-03-19T13:13:00.000-04:002010-03-19T13:13:17.252-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_IRJaL3wKjX2iIQTIQ0JJ_1U6CY-2xXYDP6ligFUUvxu5mNBsnyQFjVb5XF6eBXnTlCSw7d1f-bvdCPiO9-muuR-ik4KXOUrx5IOwkJBmgd_sAf0QIodXG0vVxhhNQgjcoRG/s1600-h/25692_563050709961_26003848_33305164_4342653_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_IRJaL3wKjX2iIQTIQ0JJ_1U6CY-2xXYDP6ligFUUvxu5mNBsnyQFjVb5XF6eBXnTlCSw7d1f-bvdCPiO9-muuR-ik4KXOUrx5IOwkJBmgd_sAf0QIodXG0vVxhhNQgjcoRG/s640/25692_563050709961_26003848_33305164_4342653_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
End of a mind-numbing, make me want to shoot myself week. Nearly every day was spent waking up early, working out, classes with library time all day until I came home and passed out to repeat. My room was a hazard area with my board bad overflowing with clothes and what have you from my trip to Puerto Rico last week. Despite being completely exhausted, I am in a stellar mood. Figured out some life plans.. got a few great things going on currently. I have compiled a short list of things I'm stoked about:<br />
<br />
1. Moving to FL for my last summer at home; doing surf lessons @ Surf Station thanks to MattOBear.<br />
2. Designer Drugs next weekend.. whaaaaat<br />
3. Planning a trip to El Salvador with Sarah (and anyone else who'd like to join)<br />
4. Bought Jimbo America a rawhide baseball, he's psyched on it.<br />
5. Drafting a series of children's books based on Jimbo America Jenkins.<br />
6. Getting my yoga on a regular basis.<br />
7. Electro everyday all day + sunshine.<br />
8. Just created a new recipe: Banana upside down brownie cake.<br />
<br />
Pics/ recipe of the banana brownie treat to come.<br />
<br />
This is a great song to swing your hair around to and shake it. That's what I'll be doing tonight. <br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AbQ9N-bLGbE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AbQ9N-bLGbE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-8855568844910452712010-03-17T11:16:00.002-04:002010-03-19T12:24:38.263-04:00part II <br />
<br />
"We stopped at perfect days<br />
<br />
and got out of the car. <br />
<br />
The wind glanced at your hair. <br />
<br />
It was as simple as that. <br />
<br />
I turned to say something..." <br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DRn7KuyYmGY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DRn7KuyYmGY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-17442378759020738582010-02-21T19:00:00.005-05:002010-03-19T13:31:45.434-04:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZvvEJuXkuKSkvumXrRht0J8PZ-AtYSldBO8c7wpGtAbxSt4FuqIDFrCh3uGCyC8mtDa6bbuNG58Ps9-kl4gQ7hVTrkjDKUUREJfU5Os4gVOLjr2CUTn7gwpzfDgSeS4VFYnW/s1600-h/1e2048d6234e5051c392b5aec961b52abcfa7d76_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440853257884557058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZvvEJuXkuKSkvumXrRht0J8PZ-AtYSldBO8c7wpGtAbxSt4FuqIDFrCh3uGCyC8mtDa6bbuNG58Ps9-kl4gQ7hVTrkjDKUUREJfU5Os4gVOLjr2CUTn7gwpzfDgSeS4VFYnW/s400/1e2048d6234e5051c392b5aec961b52abcfa7d76_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /> </a>part I <br />
<br />
Something was missing</div><div style="text-align: center;">I realized I was in love with a voice<br />
I called it, again, and again<br />
But all I heard was the echo in the light.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=38740140&postID=1744237875902073858" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" style="cursor: move;" /></a> </div></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-61942292724459541992010-02-17T00:16:00.002-05:002010-02-17T00:19:58.296-05:00I have been sitting on my computer writing Art Mag e-blasts (online newsletters)...since... Oh.. say 8ish. I'm tired. Why am I am on YouTube. Why are you <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> on YouTube?<br /><br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-NMnic1dzH8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-NMnic1dzH8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-39563215757087220052010-02-11T11:50:00.004-05:002010-02-11T16:52:36.176-05:00<div><br />Dark chocolate. Peanut butter.<div><br /></div><div>Need I say more? Oh, it's vegan too... with a homemade honey graham cracker crust.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43TnI48BgQBSHwecPGIpv32UZo9injPrd0dD7beQUKp47iIOL4fup0FD59N4Dtve2j-zI2j59iFjdm62q7DGP1sOtpYInt4NyLPs6mO5REHgHtv98gcbySb4Dj3KDkg09Fm40/s1600-h/IMG00014-20100210-2039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 325px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43TnI48BgQBSHwecPGIpv32UZo9injPrd0dD7beQUKp47iIOL4fup0FD59N4Dtve2j-zI2j59iFjdm62q7DGP1sOtpYInt4NyLPs6mO5REHgHtv98gcbySb4Dj3KDkg09Fm40/s400/IMG00014-20100210-2039.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437099351174167026" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>Tonight I am going to a "salon" party put on by my boss at the <a href="http://charlestonartmag.com/">Art Mag</a>. Remember the good ol' days when we could sit around in a fancy parlor and discuss the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment">Age of Enlightenment</a>? Well I don't either, but I do know that when one has a party, especially with a "Love, Lust, and Seduction" theme, I would bring a pie. </div><div><br /></div><div>Love, lust, and especially seduction can all be attained through dark chocolate in my opinion. For me it would be chocolate and Joao Gilberto, so maybe I'll bring a mixed CD too. </div><div><br /></div><div>You <i>could</i> also make this for your sweetheart/best friend/ anyone for Valentine's Day... but don't be cliche, make it on a random Wednesday for someone who deserves it. </div><div><br /></div><div>My next random baking adventure for some lucky lad will be a raspberry truffle tart from the <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/RaspberryTruffleTart.html">Joy of Baking</a>. Stay tuned. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>12 oz good quality dark chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)</div><div>1 package silken tofu</div><div>12 full honey graham crackers</div><div>about 1/2 c Earth Balance "butter"</div><div>3/4 c natural peanut butter</div><div>vegan confectioner's sugar to taste (I used less tha 1/4 cup?)</div><div><br /></div><div>I used a springform pan, but you could use any pie dish as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the graham crackers until crumbly, breaking up all the pieces so it makes a finer texture. Melt the butter, add it gradually to the graham until it becomes able to stick together. Press the mixture into the springform pan, or whatever you're using. Bake for about 10 minutes, then pop it in the freezer to cool. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let's make the filling! Melt the dark chocolate chips in the microwaves. Put them in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 4 minutes or so, stirring every so often. Meanwhile, put the tofu in the blender and whip until smooth and fluffy. This will make for a nice light pie texture. </div><div><br /></div><div>When the chocolate is ready, pour it into the blender and whip again until completely combined, scraping the sides when necessary. Pour the chocolate filling into your cooled crust. </div><div><br /></div><div>And now for the peanut butter... Melt it in the microwave for a minute. Stir in the powdered sugar to taste. This thickens up the peanut butter so it hardens nicely in the chocolate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pour the peanut butter over the chocolate and use a spatula or fork to swirl in a nice pattern. Put it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight for best results. Enjoy with friends. </div><div><br /></div><div>This has been my theme song all day... good for baking and putting out the right kind of vibes.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: -webkit-xxx-large; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yq_tDOFU5tY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yq_tDOFU5tY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-72987350708532430722010-02-08T00:19:00.002-05:002010-02-08T00:22:21.415-05:00I can't believe it's already February. Just booked my ticket to roam Puerto Rico in a month... thrilled. I need sunshine, waves, and Medalla in my life.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M1m590Elgl0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M1m590Elgl0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38740140.post-58341904183451584422010-01-28T00:06:00.003-05:002010-01-28T00:25:33.137-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5yxK1d9f4EJ2GaynqKKP-O9viDNKy9nDlouKG9Q5Q9LsGCoeBoXwNLsKjBXhaoaOcMNPdSJhFoEq6f5SQ66Ql4Y9jOyPqE6X98UTNA3o-p-n9GtK_aT5JMu1gz0Fjs2Ezn34/s1600-h/happy-birthday-panda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5yxK1d9f4EJ2GaynqKKP-O9viDNKy9nDlouKG9Q5Q9LsGCoeBoXwNLsKjBXhaoaOcMNPdSJhFoEq6f5SQ66Ql4Y9jOyPqE6X98UTNA3o-p-n9GtK_aT5JMu1gz0Fjs2Ezn34/s400/happy-birthday-panda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431657153835563826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Today was a very active day. I actually went to three different supermarkets today, along with various errands and class. I may actually be addicted to food shopping. I swear a get a hard on when I look at fresh fruit. It's a problem. I went to Harris Teeter this morning.. followed by the Vegetable Bin this afternoon, and eventually <a href="http://wholefoods.com/">Whole Foods</a> in Mount Pleasant. I bought two different types of pears, a bag of golden delicious apples, coconut, bananas, and several other random fruits. I can't help myself. Maybe they have a support group for fruit addiction. Fruit Addicts Anonymous? So what if I sit in my film class and daydream about baking a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/simplest-apple-tart/">rustic apple tart</a>. If you fault me for that then you can't have any of my baked goods.<br /><br />Tomorrow night Sarah and I are going to an oyster roast... already bought myself a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc to bring.<br /><br />Friday night we're having a little Prosecco & Pizza dinner party. There is nothing I love more than making pizza from scratch.... maybe even throwing it on the grill. Psyched.<br /><br />Here's a video I enjoy showing anyone who decides to come over after last call. It's disturbing and I like it.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dKR-iTrnw30&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dKR-iTrnw30&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939440088707095501noreply@blogger.com0